Current Events

Is this a real screenshot of a Truth Social post from President Trump where he says he won't release the Epstein files in order to protect Bill Clinton? No, that's not true: The viral image originated on a Facebook account with a satire disclaimer and did not actually show Trump's Truth Social handle. It contained several hints that were hard…

Did Eminem, Jelly Roll & Billie Eilish announce a 2026 tour titled "The Last Showdown?" No, that's not true: There is no proof that these artists announced this tour. There are no publicly available tickets or presale tickets on concert tickets websites. There is a new trend of AI generated posts about concerts that don't actually exist, featuring huge names…

Did retired Gen. Mark Milley tell troops being deployed to U.S. cities in August of 2025 that they "do not report to a dictator", as posts on social media claim? No, that's not true: Milley's remarks were made in September of 2023, almost two years before President Donald Trump sent the National Guard to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Milley,…

Did Florida ban "The Diary of Anne Frank" from public library shelves? No, that's not true: A graphic version of Anne Frank's diary was removed from school library shelves in Escambia County, Florida, after a complaint that it minimized the Holocaust with the inclusion of Frank's description of her private thoughts about sex. A group that tracks book bans recently…

Does an authentic video document "fake HOA police" trying to arrest a Black man but finding out he is a feared agent of the FBI? No that's not true: The video is a production of a social media account that uses AI to produce videos. The account states the stories they share are not real but ones that "everyday people…

Did Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy react to his August 2025 meeting at the White House by suggesting that Donald Trump rejects a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, believing it would hurt his chances of winning the Nobel Peace Prize? No, that's not true: Official government webpages of the Ukrainian president don't contain such a statement. Lead Stories could not find…

Did country music legend George Strait reject a $500 million deal from Elon Musk to endorse Tesla? No, that's not true: This is a fake story designed to get people to click on a link to a website. This identical fake story, with the same fake quote, keeps getting recycled with different celebrity names attached. The fake story appeared in…

Does a real soldier appear in uniform in the "Troops Against Trump" video, asking "I swore an oath to defend the constitution...What happened to us?" No that's not true: The video is the production of a social media account that labels itself a satire producer. In addition to the account's disclosure that it uses AI to produce videos, there are…

Was Arthur MacWaters fired as the Chief Marketing Officer of Cracker Barrel? No, that's not true: A viral social media post containing a fake LinkedIn screenshot showing several previous positions at companies involved in controversial rebranding efforts was meant as a joke. According to his real LinkedIn bio MacWaters never held the position. The claim appeared as a post on…

Does a video describe a real CNN debate between Jasmine Crockett and Mike Huckabee involving a bible quote? No, that's not true: The description of the viral YouTube video makes it clear the entire interaction was a work of fiction created using artificial intelligence. Searches of CNN's website for the supposed debate brought up no results. The video (archived here)…

Is the video of Michelle Wu calling Donald Trump an "asshole" in a high pitched voice authentic? No, that's not true: The video is footage taken from Boston Mayor Wu's press conference where she spoke about federal immigration issues that was posted on C-SPAN and local news. In the original video Wu did not name-call the president or speak about…

Does this video clip show Jon Stewart making "a savage reply to Trump's India tariff?" No, that's not true: The video clip posted on social media is not real. The video about Trump's India tariff was posted during the time when Stewart's "The Daily Show" was on summer break. The 28-second video appeared in a post on X (archived here)…

Do 55 million foreigners with U.S. visas live in the United States, as of August 2025? No, that's not true: Fifty-five million is the number of people around the world who currently hold a visa to enter the U.S, according to a U.S. State Department announcement that it would review all outstanding visas. Some social media posters incorrectly interpreted headlines…

Was Destiny Marie Diciccio charged with "Disorderly Conduct - Uttering an Illegal Opinion" under Florida's new anti-antisemitism law and is she facing 30 days in jail for this? No, that's not true: Court records show she was charged for disorderly conduct involving the throwing of a slice of pizza. According to those records she pleaded "no contest" but there was…

Is a video of Italy's prime minister Giorgia Meloni describing President Trump being a "mix of sweat and flatulence" and "a giant moving biogas pit" authentic? No, that's not true: The video includes a disclaimer that reads "Creator labeled as AI-generated" on the TikTok channel where it originated. It has been widely shared on social media platforms by other accounts…

Is the video of Amy Klobuchar commenting on the Sydney Sweeney American Eagle jeans and where she mentions "perfect titties" authentic? No, that's not true: Klobuchar wrote an opinion piece in the New York Times calling the video "A.I. deepfake." The fake was built using a video posted by the Minnesota senator on her official YouTube account from a hearing…

Does a viral image authentically show soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo and his fiancee Georgina Rodriguez married and at their wedding? No, that's not true: The image contained glitches and discrepancies typical of AI generated images and at least one detection tool found evidence of deepfake content. The couple announced their engagement via social media on August 11, 2025 and have…

Did "The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart invite White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt as a guest and tell her that her "brain missed makeup" on TV? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found no evidence confirming such a comment. No news reports and no "Daily Show" episodes reviewed by Lead Stories contained the purported joke. The claim appeared in…

Does an image show a real screenshot of the "Governor Newsom Press Office" X account posting "Fuck you. Bye." in response to a statement from Bed Bath & Beyond Executive Chairman Marcus Lemonis? No, that's not true: The screenshot is fake, no such post appeared on the account in question. The account did respond to the Bed Bath & Beyond…

Is George Strait suing television show "The View" and co-host Whoopi Goldberg for $50 million? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that the country music icon has filed a lawsuit against the daytime talk show. Strait has never been a guest on The View, according to the Internet Movie Database. The images used in the social media post…