Society

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 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…

Does the Constitution of the United States say, in Article II Section 4, "If the president is impeached for treason, the vice president and all civil officers shall be removed."? No, that's not true: The quote appearing in a social media post is not accurate. Article II Section 4 of the Constitution reads, "The President, Vice President and all civil…

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)…

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…

Did JD Vance make a post saying "It's pretty disgusting to equate 'American' with 'white'" about his biracial family and non-white son? Yes, the text is a screenshot of a real tweet JD Vance posted in 2019. The original tweet was only text and did not have a family photo included with it. It was eventually deleted and that account…

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…

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…

Did Peyton Manning see to it that Ray, who had been a stadium gatekeeper for 30 years, would get tickets to the game - and also honor him with a custom Colts Jersey and a standing ovation? No, that's not true: This is a fictional story paired with an AI image intended to gather engagement for social media posts and…

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…

Did Clark Hunt, the CEO of the Kansas City Chiefs, Ban LGBT Merchandise from Arrowhead Stadium? No, that's not true: There is no official announcement from the Chiefs on this question. The quote circulating on social media attributed to Hunt about "protecting the integrity of our fan experience," cannot be found in any public statements in writing or on camera.…

Did U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi successfully sue American basketball player Brittney Griner, preventing the athlete from participating in the Olympic Games? No, none of that is true: No credible media organization ever reported that, as of August 19, 2025. When Lead Stories checked specialized legal resources, those searches showed no confirmation that such a lawsuit ever existed. The claim…

Did DOGE discover Democratic Congressman Jerry Nadler has a hidden net worth of $100 million? No, that's not true: The post spreading that Nadler rumor and the false claim about his vast wealth came from a Facebook page with a satire disclaimer and a warning that all the contents of the page are fabricated. The owner of the page is…

Will the earth experience "colder weather than ever before" during the "aphelion phenomenon" in August, 2025, as its elliptical orbit takes it to its most distant-from-the-Sun position of the year, as multiple social media posts claim? No, that's not true: Earth's distance from the Sun changes daily and at aphelion, the Earth's distance from the Sun is only about 3%…

Was Oprah Winfrey "ordered to return $22 million she took from FEMA to rebuild her mansion after the Maui fires", as of mid-August 2025? No, that's not true: The rumor originated from a post by a self-described satire account that carries a disclaimer that says "nothing on this page is real". There were no actual news stories about the order…

Did Kid Rock endorse California Governor Gavin Newsom in mid-August 2025? No, that's not true: The origin of the viral image is satirical. The picture was a parody of Donald Trump's post from the previous year, when he said he accepted Taylor Swift's nonexistent endorsement from an AI generated image. What looked like a statement appeared in a post (archived…