Fact Check

Did Michelle Obama reveal in a podcast interview that she was in therapy because she is "transitioning" sexually? No, that's not true: The former first lady explained to interviewer Jay Shetty on his "On Purpose" podcast in April 2025 that she sought therapy to help her navigate the "next phase" of her life in which she is 60 years old…

Does a viral clip show Canada's PM Mark Carney announcing phasing out "all vehicles manufactured before 2000 due to safety and emission standards"? No, that's not true: The video reused the footage of his tariff-related speech while replacing the authentic sound. The audio track was likely to have been generated by AI. The claim appeared in a post (archived here)…

Did a video shared on social media authentically capture a real-life scene showing a police officer "losing his mind" over a parking ticket? No, that's not true: The video originated from a channel that publishes re-enactments. Its website additionally emphasized that those videos are not authentic footage from body-worn law enforcement cameras and claimed copyright protection for its productions, something…

Does a viral post of a man in a Nazi SS uniform document the young life of financier George Soros? No, that's not true: It's not Soros. Further, the meme and other similar posts about Soros provide no documentary evidence for the extraordinary claim that Soros, who was 14 at the time of the Nazi occupation of his home country,…

Was the service history of Colonel Ruby Bradley, an American nurse captured in the Philippines during World War II, removed from official military websites on orders of U.S. President Donald Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth or DOGE? As of this writing, some pages describing her life were still available on government online resources. Yet, in at least two instances, those…

Did White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt make a request on X for opinions about whether the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) should investigate "a mysterious shell company" tied to "three Democratic senators" that received $622 million, or $500 million, in Ukraine war contracts? No, that's not true: The poll was posted by a self-described satire account. Lead Stories…

Does a viral online image authentically show "Jewish settlers" pouring a "hit liquid" on two elderly Palestinian sisters in wheelchairs? No, that's not true: According to AI detection tools the image was AI generated and no liquid -- "hit", "hot" or otherwise -- was actually poured on paralysed people. The image contained several details indicating an AI origin, such as…

Did American President Donald Trump post a picture of himself in which he appeared to be dressed as Pope while holding up his right index finger? Yes, that's true: He posted the image to his Instagram account. According to at least one AI detector the image was generated using Artificial Intelligence. The image appeared on Trump's Instagram here (archived here)…

Did the official X account of The White House post an AI generated picture of President Trump wielding a red lightsaber in front of a backdrop of American flags and eagles? Yes, that's true: The image was published on May 4, 2025, a day informally celebrated as "Star Wars Day" by fans of the franchise. According to an AI detection…

Does a video watermarked "ZXHK EDITX" authentically show a fight involving multiple adolescents? No, that's not true: A 2025 post recycled old footage. It was originally published by an account of a French stunt school. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on X where it was published on May 1, 2025. It opened: They didn't expect this. The…

Does a set of before-and-after pictures authentically depict Miley Cyrus in May, 2025? No, that's not true: No contemporaneous photo shows the singer looking like the cadaverous caricature shown in a social media post. Tools for detection of generative AI images show the image on the right was concocted using AI tools. The images appeared in a May 1, 2025…

Does a video on social media show Britain's Princess Anne's authentic public statement that she rejects the idea of bowing to Queen Camila? No, that's not true: In that clip, the sound was added over a series of shots, but the video never showed Princess Anne actually saying what was attributed to her. No credible media organization reported such a…

Did U.S. gas prices drop below $1.98 a gallon as President Trump claimed in a May 2, 2025 Truth Social post? No, that's not true: The national average for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline was $3.18 on May 2, 2025, according to the AAA survey. The cheapest gas was in Mississippi, where the average price for regular unleaded was…

Did Indians or Pakistanis set fire to a church in Wales in April 2025? No, that's not true: In response to widely-shared social media rumors, South Wales Police told Lead Stories there was "no link to India or Pakistan at all" in their investigation into a fire at the Bethany English Calvinistic Methodist Chapel in Port Talbot. Two local teenage…

Is a video of President Trump threatening to "erase Pakistan" if it attacks India authentic? No, that's not true: The video uses old footage of Trump from before he was President and added an AI generated audio track. In the fake audio Trump can also be heard saying he will "warn China" and that he loves "Indian people". The video…

Did former Vice President Kamala Harris declare in April 2025 that she intended to run for president in 2028? No, that's not true: A supposed screenshot of an X post by Harris was fake. It came after Harris made her first major speech since her defeat to President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. The declaration of intent appeared…

Were there real media reports about Senator Chuck Schumer getting $16 million from NASA through a New Jersey based shell company? No, that's not true: The absurd story involving "zero-gravity-compatible scones, Belgian waffles, and mini-muffins" originated on a site that is clearly labeled as satirical. It is run by a man known for tricking conservatives into liking and sharing made-up…

Was American basketball player Brittney Griner being investigated for "gambling on her own games", as of April 2025? No, that's not true: The claim originated from a network with a satire label. It has a long history of publishing made-up stories. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on X where it was published on May 1, 2025. It…

Is owning a child sex slave legal in California, as a social media influencer wrote? No, that's not true: It is at least a misdemeanor in California to solicit prostitution from teens. In April of 2025, Democratic lawmakers blocked passage of a proposed amendment that would have made soliciting prostitution with trafficked minors a felony, but that did not remove…

Did U.S. President Donald Trump officially warn former President Barack Obama that he would face Hatch Act charges if he went to El Salvador? No, that's not true: The rumor originated from an online network with a satire label, known for publishing made-up stories. Potential violations of the Hatch Act are not criminally punishable. The claim appeared in a video…