Politics

Is that a real photo of Sydney Sweeney in a Turning Point USA shirt? No, that's not true: The t-shirt photo that appeared on social media in September of 2025 is a manipulated copy of a paparazzo's photo taken three months earlier. Enough elements of the photo match to prove it's a fake: from the paparazzi in the background to…

Did a variety of musicians, athletes, and coaches issue a lifetime ban against a man who was filmed "celebrating" in the immediate aftermath of Charlie Kirk's shooting? No, that's not true on two counts: First, the articles about the lifetime bans are not true. They are copy/paste clickbait slop -- a formula to intermingle names of celebrities with Charlie Kirk's…

Is a video showing Charlie Kirk's wife Erika Kirk saying "I will never marry anyone else" after his death authentic? No, that's not true: The video is likely AI generated. Erika Kirk has spoken publicly once since her husband was shot and killed on September 10, 2025. In that appearance, she did not say she would never marry anyone else,…

Did U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz paint over graffiti which said, "Release the Epstein Files"? No, that's not true: The image has been edited. The original image was shared on social media by Cruz and showed him painting over graffiti that said "F--- Charlie Kirk". The altered image appeared in a post (archived here) published on X by @acnewsitics on Sept.…

Does a video posted on TikTok show two clips of Charlie Kirk's shooter on the roof of a Utah Valley University building when the fatal shot was fired? No, that's not true: The post uses two different video clips and the first one does not show the shooter. It shows a building over Kirk's right shoulder, an impossible angle for…

Did the late Charlie Kirk say "Black women do not have the brain processing power to be taken seriously" as social media posts claim? No, that's not a precise quote: Attacking affirmative action, Kirk slammed by name four prominent liberal Black women . On his podcast, he specifically criticized Rep. Shirley Jackson Lee, D-Texas, TV host Joy Reid, Supreme Court…

Does a video from social media prove that the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk was carried out with a palm gun? No, that's not true: The video doesn't show what posts claim it does. According to the authorities, the gun found near the crime scene was a bolt-action rifle, not a handgun. The claim appeared in a post (archived…

Did Tyler Robinson, the man arrested for shooting Charlie Kirk in Utah, donate money to the Trump campaign in 2020? No, that's not true: Lead Stories spoke with the Tyler Robinson who owned the property that was listed as the address on the federal records for the donation to the Trump campaign. That Tyler Robinson confirmed he is 35 years…

Did Ed Sheeran release a song called "Rest in Peace, Charlie Kirk", possibly together with Adele? No, that's not true: The viral YouTube video was synthetically generated according to the description below it. A specialized detection tool confirmed the song was made with artificial intelligence. Several AI generated variations of the song that are in circulation aren't real either. The…

Is this a real video of Presiden Trump saying the far right doesn't exist and that "the left" is "poking a sleeping bear with sticks" in remarks on Charlie Kirk's death? No, that's not true: The viral clip contained AI generated sound that doesn't match the original footage published by the White House and was published by an account the…

Is this a real video of President Trump calling people who say both sides are bad "spineless cowards" and threatening them with "Alligator Alcatraz"? No, that's not true: The audio portion of the clip was generated using AI tools according to specialized detection software. The video was published by an account that says it publishes satire and it has an…

Does an image on social media platforms really show the bullet casing inscribed with 'Notices bulges OWO' found after the fatal shooting of activist Charlie Kirk in Utah? No, that's not true: The picture in question did not come from investigators, authorities or credible media organizations. Three online detectors determined that the image was likely created by AI and the…

Is a video in which JD Vance explains why tilting Charlie Kirk's coffin thirty degrees was done to protect his corpse from further damage real? No, that's not true: According to a specialized detection tool the audio in the clip was generated using AI. The part of the clip that shows Vance speaking came from an old CNN interview in…

Did Eminem and Kid Rock bury their political differences to launch a charity in Charlie Kirk's name, called "Charlie Kirk: From Debate to Great?" No, that's not true: The article making the claim offers no credible sources and the timeline given for the creation of the charity is not practical. Beyond the questionable website publishing the article and the Vietnam-based…

Did a man named Damien Slash get fired from a job at Microsoft over comments he made on Bluesky about the killing of Charlie Kirk as he explained in a viral video? No, that's not true: The man with the nose ring who said he worked for six years building the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion department is actually a comedian.…

Did singers Dolly Parton, Adam Lambert, Elton John, Barry Gibb, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Vince Gill, sports figures Sam Pittman, Cade Klubnik, or Marc Marquez honor Charlie Kirk by calling for a moment of silence or by attending his funeral? No, that's not true: Social posts and articles claiming that these celebrities reacted to the killing of Kirk on September…

Did Paul McCartney hold one minute of silence for Charlie Kirk and the victims of 9/11 during a concert at Madison Square Garden in New York? No, that's not true: The story was made up by a Facebook page and website managed by someone in Vietnam. No such concert was listed on the website of the venue and the story…

Does an authentic photo show Tyler Robinson wearing a Trump T-shirt? No, that's not true: The photo of Robinson is real, but it has been digitally manipulated. The shirt he was wearing in the original photo was plain with no printing and burgundy, not red. The edited photo appeared in a post (archived here) on X by @UchePOkoye on Sep.…

Is Tyler Robinson, the suspect in custody for the shooting of Charlie Kirk, a Republican? No, that's not true: Voter registration records in Utah show he chose to vote neither as a Democrat nor as a Republican. He registered as "Unaffiliated." The claim appeared in a September 12, 2025 Facebook post (archived here) on the whitesarahh account under the title:…

Did a viral story about Dale Earnhardt Jr. making a fierce statement against the Charlie Kirk shooter come from an actual news source? No, that's not true: The story appeared on a foreign-run clickbait site and Facebook page and showed signs of having been generated using AI. The supposedly viral hashtag #AbsolutelyReady mentioned in the story was not used on…