Politics

Does a real video show masked police officers walking around in a polling station and looking at how people are voting? No, that's not true: There is no credible evidence that this incident ever occurred, and there have been no news reports of such an incident. The masked men are marked "Police," not Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), although they…

Was it proven that a Muslim man spiked Millie Taplin's drink in an Essex, England, nightclub on her 18th birthday in 2021, paralyzing her? No, that's not true: Essex Police told Lead Stories there is "absolutely nothing" in the case that supports the claim. There is also no credible news coverage identifying a suspect or their religion. The claim appeared…

Does a video show Ed Sheeran playing a concert alone with a "loop station" after his backing band Beoga quit? No, that's not true: The video footage shows Sheeran in concert on July 1, 2022 at Wembley Stadium in London. Beoga published a statement announcing their departure from the remaining portion of Sheeran's Loop Tour Sept. 15, 2026, and no…

Did Supreme Court justices John Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett both disclose "gifts" from the George Soros Foundation? No, that's not true: The claim originated on a Facebook page known for posting satirical content that carries the disclaimer, "Nothing on this page is real." The image in the post also bears the same warning label. Lead Stories found no credible…

Did parents go public to complain about child deaths under the nursing care of Lindsay Clancy? No, that's not true: There is no credible evidence that any parents have publicly complained about their children dying while under Clancy's care. As of Sept. 16, 2026, a review of news reports found no such complaints. The claim appeared in a post (archived…

Did California Governor Gavin Newsom's winery receive a state wildfire payout after a 2025 fire? No, that's not true: "The claim is FALSE," Newsom's office told Lead Stories. PlumpJack Group reached a private settlement with Hundred Acre winery, where the fire started, and did not receive state wildfire funds. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) by the @MrPotatoheadPHD…

Is there proof a photo showing President Donald Trump kissing a woman, possibly his aide Natalie Harp, while golfing is real? Here's what we know: There is no verifiable information, such as a photographer, subjects, date or location associated with the image. Content detectors do not pick up AI signals from the blurry picture. A sharper AI-generated version of the…

Is a protester's claim at a JD Vance campaign event for Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas that Marshall sued his own patients true? Yes, that's true: Marshall is a Republican seeking re-election in the November 2026 midterms. During his decades-long career as an obstetrician-gynecologist, he sued more than 700 patients over unpaid bills, according to a New York Times analysis…

Did former U.N. Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley say she wants to bring Palestinian refugees to the United States? No, that's not true: Haley called the claim "a total lie" on her official X account. Also, no credible evidence shows that she ever made such a statement or supported that stance. The claim appeared in a post (archived…

Is an image of President Donald Trump appearing to have wetted himself after meeting with Irish President Catherine Connolly a real photo? No, that's not true: It's from an AI-generated meme. No officially released images showed such a scene. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published on Threads by the @joekillory account on Sept. 13, 2026. It read:…

Did the 'foreign press' report that the Irish president insisted on being seated away from Donald Trump because he was emanating a disgusting 'fecal' like odor? No, that's not true: There are no credible reports that Catherine Connolly refused to sit near Trump during his visit to Ireland over a 'fecal' odor. His visit was covered by U.S. news outlets…

Does a real photo accurately portray Natalie Harp smiling? No, that's not true: A real image has been altered with AI tools to elongate Harp's teeth and expose her gums. A visual comparison between the altered image and the original, as well as readings from AI-generated content detection tools, all demonstrate the image is fake. The claim appeared in a…

Did a real photo from July 14, 1985, recently surface that shows Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein together on a yacht wearing swim briefs? No, that's not true: At least two images surfaced online on Sept. 11, 2026, one with an AI label. Content detection tools from Hive Moderation and OpenAI both determined the images were made with AI. The…

Is the viral selfie featuring Russia's Vladimir Putin surrounded by BRICS leaders an actual photo documenting the group's summit in September 2026? No, that's not true: Three online detectors ruled that it was made by AI. Lead Stories did not find any examples of credible media organizations using the image to cover the summit. The claim appeared in a post…

Does a viral image authentically document President Donald Trump's efforts to clear the rubble at the 9/11 site? No, that's not true: Three online tools said it was generated by AI. In particular, one tool detected an invisible watermark identifying the image's AI origin. The claim appeared in an article (archived here) on patriots.win, published on Sept. 11, 2026. It…

Does a grainy green night vision photo show Osama bin Laden after he was shot and killed by U.S. Navy SEALs? No, that's not true: This image was made by adding bin Laden's face to a still image taken from the movie "Black Hawk Down." This fake image began circulating online shortly after his death was reported. The image appeared…

Did North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un call for Benjamin Netanyahu to be arrested in September 2026? No, that's not true: There are no credible news reports that Kim made an announcement calling for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to be arrested. The person who posted this video does not cite a source for his claim that Kim is demanding Netanyahu's…

Did a real Grindr outage take place in Dallas during the 2026 Republican National Convention, which began on Sept. 9, 2026? No, that's not true: A spokesperson for Grindr told Lead Stories it had no outages connected to the convention, and its status page did not show any either. The Downdetector website did show an increase in outage reports nationally…

Is Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly dropping his bid for re-election after learning he's lost 40 points in the polls among veterans? No, that's not true: The story is entirely made up. It originated from a network of self-described satire websites that place multiple disclaimers on their content saying that nothing they publish is real. The claim appeared in a post…

Does a viral composite image show the real list of candidates running for office from the Reform UK party? No, that's not true: While some of the people on the list are real Reform UK affiliates, a closer manual examination showed that the collage displayed multiple inconsistencies strongly pointing to AI, including the alleged candidates who either shared the same…