Politics

Was a video of a crowd of people chanting, clapping, and drumming recorded in Belfast during the June 2026 anti-immigrant protests? No, that's not true: The clip had been online since May of that year. The original caption said it showed soccer fans in Germany. The claim appeared in a post (archived here and here) published on X by @KDJRadioShow…

Does a real video show the moment Iran shot down a U.S. Apache helicopter in the Persian Gulf in early June 2026? No, that's not true: The clip was created using artificial intelligence, and an AI detection tool determined it was 100% "likely to be AI-generated." There are no credible reports that the helicopter was brought down by a shoulder-fired…

Did a group calling itself the Irish Citizen Army (ICA) release a new message amid the June 2026 anti-migration protests in Northern Ireland? No, that's not true: The video, featuring an anonymous narrator, was originally released with a Sept. 20, 2025 datestamp. Reposts of the video circulating in June 2026 have an "ITS TIME" caption box obscuring that original datestamp.…

Did U.K.'s Prime Minister Keir Starmer publicly threaten to arrest X owner Elon Musk along with other "336 million Americans"? No, that's not true: Lead Stories reviewed Starmer's public comments about Musk and did not find anything remotely close to what social media attributed to the prime minister. The claim about hundreds of millions to be arrested is implausible on…

Does a video featuring a burning fuel tank rolling away after an explosion show an event in Iran in June 2026? No, that's not true: The footage shows an explosion at a gas station in Chechnya, a republic within the Russian Federation, in October 2024, not Iran. The clip also appeared on a social media account labeled as a parody.…

Did the Associated Press publish a video report confirming that the suspected shooter of President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents' dinner had visited the Ukrainian embassy multiple times before the attempted attack? No, that's not true: An AP representative told Lead Stories that the video report using its logo had nothing to do with the news agency. Lead…

Does a video show masked, armed members of the anti-immigrant "New Republican Movement" responding to a Belfast, Northern Ireland, knife attack in early June 2026? No, that's not true: The footage is from that group, but the video is from December 2025, six months earlier than the incident. In the clip, a statement is read that threatens local politicians over…

Does a viral video of fires capture the aftermath of the June 9, 2026, anti-immigration protests in Belfast, Northern Ireland? No, that's not true: The recording showed explosions that same day on a gas pipeline in Russia's Dagestan. The original sound did not include any chants -- that was later digitally added to the version of the video that went…

Did Dutch football legend Ruud Gullit publish an open letter calling on FIFA President Gianni Infantino to resign amid growing controversy surrounding U.S. immigration policies? No, that's not true: The claim appeared in social media posts and news articles just a day before the start of the World Cup. Gullit posted a denial on his X account, saying he wanted…

Does a real photo show a Somali woman with a slashed face after an alleged Dublin attack on June 8, 2026? No, that's not true: As of June 10, 2026, Lead Stories found no credible news reports or other reliable evidence such as a statement from the police confirming that such an incident occurred. Nor was any evidence found that…

Did Shanekka Renee Johnson, who said in a video that she was paid $5 on "Skid Row" to vote for Karen Bass for Los Angeles mayor, actually vote for Bass? No, that's not true: Information obtained from the Los Angeles County Registrar's office confirmed that Shanekka Renee Johnson, age 39, could not cast a vote for Bass since she is…

Is a mugshot real showing a Texas woman arrested for disguising herself as a man to win an "All-Male BBQ Competition"? No, that's not true: The post originated on a self-described satire site. The original post was labeled satire and comedy. There were no news reports of a woman winning a barbecue contest disguised as a man and getting arrested.…

Does a real video show Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson publicly declining the invitation to attend the UFC White House event? No, that's not true: An AI-generated cloned voice has been dubbed over pre-existing video clips of Johnson. One clip -- which appears to show his mouth moving in sync with the audio -- is based on footage from an unrelated…

Is Spanish soccer star Lamine Yamal possibly missing the World Cup in the United States because of a Palestinian protest and visa issues? No, that's not true: There is no evidence supporting the claim that Yamal would miss the World Cup. As of June 7, 2026, he was already with the Spanish national team at its home base in Chattanooga,…

Is there an image of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) stage at the White House, featuring a real banner that reads, in part, "Welcome to Costco"? No, that's not true: Although the UFC stage is real, the image contains an AI-generated banner. The fake banner is a reference to a satirical comedy film. The claim appeared in a post published…

Did UN Women publish a report saying it confirmed "639 rapes and over 3,000 cases of sexual harassment in the Ukrainian Armed Forces"? No, that's not true: At the time of writing, there was no such report on the UN Women website, and the organization confirmed to Lead Stories it had never published such data. Posts with the claim reused…

Does a video show an Iranian missile strike on Israeli or U.S. assets in early June 2026? No, that's not true: The explosion shown in the video occurred at a fireworks factory in Malta. The powerful blast injured two people at the Ta' Lourdes fireworks factory on June 1, 2026. The claim appeared in a post and video (archived here)…

Are photos in a meme showing NBC's "Meet the Press" host Kristen Welker's dramatic expressions demonstrating "five stages of Trump Derangement Syndrome" real? No, that's not true: An AI content detection tool concluded the images of Welker's face while interviewing President Trump were likely AI-generated. A review of the interview video does show a range of expressions, but none matched…

Did an FBI document published by Judicial Watch name Butler County, Ohio, Deputy Kinlee Hoyle as the officer who exchanged emails with the shooter in the 2024 assassination attempt of Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania? No, that's not true: The FBI document in question mentions interviews with "5 Deputies of the Butler County Sheriff's Office" in Pennsylvania but does not…

Did a late-night ballot drop of 24,000 votes give Spencer Pratt no votes in the Los Angeles mayor race and is that evidence of fraud in the vote counting? No, that's not true: The Los Angeles Times explained there was a one-minute lag between its receipt of the Associated Press automated feed of thousands of Pratt votes and the counts…