Satire

Did Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed fail a background check conducted for classified U.S. Senate briefings? No, that's not true: The claim originated from social media accounts that have been the subject of several Lead Stories fact checks, and the creator's Facebook page lists its category as "Comedian." The Congressional Research Service says members of Congress are not required to hold security…

Did President Donald Trump help "an old woman" walk home after a rally in Iowa on Oct. 22, 2026? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Trump left the airport rally location by car. Hive Moderation determined the image attached to the story was 99.9% likely to be AI-generated. The story was posted on an account known for…

Did Iranian officials say they would release audio of President Donald Trump begging them to open the Strait of Hormuz so gas prices will go down before the midterms? No, that's not true: This story originated from The Halfway Post, an account which says their content is "Halfway true comedy and satire for your doomscrolling". A search of both Google…

Did Denzel Washington make some disparaging remarks about Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez after having a conversation with her? No, that's not true: There is no record of Washington saying these things about Ocasio-Cortez. The almost verbatim quotes were originally falsely attributed to Sylvester Stallone, but came from a source which has clear satire disclaimers. The claim appeared in a post (archived…

Does a screenshot show a post made by a real California congressman, Jack Kimble, that includes an AI-generated image of an idealized American family? No, that's not true: Kimble is a fictional satirical politician, not a real congressman from California. His X account does not have a clearly stated satire disclaimer, but clues are offered in the account's bio. A…

Did CNN's "Caityn Collins" leave the White House press room after Trump press secretary Karoline Leavitt embarrassed her by saying she had not "reported a fact since you left the Daily Caller nine years ago"? No, that's not true: The claim originated on a satirical Facebook page run by a liberal man with a long history of tricking conservatives into…

Was former U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George detained on suspicion of treason? No, that's not true: The claim was posted by a self-described parody website and it offered no supporting evidence of truth. The Pentagon did confirm on April 2, 2026, that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth relieved George of his duties and asked him to retire, but…

Did Waffle House announce plans to put floating restaurants on lakes across the southeastern United States to serve boaters, anglers, and waterfront homes? No, that's not true: A Waffle House official told Lead Stories there were no such plans. An image of a floating Waffle House in the middle of a lake, surrounded by boats, was generated by an artificial…

Did Tampa International Airport ban travelers from wearing pajamas when passing through the Florida airport? No, that's not true: The pajama ban announcement shared by the airport's X account was a "playful nod to day-of-travel fashion debates" and not a real rule, according to a statement sent to Lead Stories by an airport spokesperson. The statement said passengers are free…

Is a DJ Vlad "confession" that Roc Nation bribed the judge, jury, witnesses and police to convict Tory Lanez for shooting Megan Thee Stallion real? No, that's not true: While it was posted by DJ Vlad's X account, it concluded with a sentence calling the claims "these lies." DJ Vlad, a hip-hop producer turned journalist, posted replies on this and…

Did President Trump post on his Truth Social account a call for cellphone companies to add software kill switches to phone cameras so ICE and "my SS" could "kill" video recording and sharing? No, that's not true: The image, which also contained the signature catchphrase "Thank you for your attention to this matter," did not show a real post from…

Are tow trucks impounding ICE vehicles in Atlanta because the U.S. Constitution's 10th amendment does not allow ICE to drive on state roads? No, that's not true: The claim is a satirical post from a known satire account. The 10th amendment simply gives to the American states powers that are not specifically delegated to the federal government elsewhere in the…

Did the U.S. Department of Homeland Security release an image of Jonathan Ross's arm with an IV tube as evidence that the ICE agent suffered internal bleeding from Renee Good's car? No, that's not true: The photo was taken by a college student in 2016 and used in an attempt to convince his professor that he was hospitalized and should…

Is the Securities and Exchange Commission investigating 10 Democrats, including former President Joe Biden, for fraud and insider trading? No, that's not true: There is no evidence the SEC is investigating any of the 10 people whose images are included in the post. The claim originated from a satirical Facebook page that carried a satire disclaimer. The owner of the…

Did President Trump ask the Transportation and Commerce departments to introduce 15-year car loans as a way to make vehicle ownership for all a reality? No, that's not true: A meme making the claim is apparently satire inspired by Trump's real proposal to extend home mortgages to 50 years. There is no official statement from the White House and no…

Is a video showing a U.S. Marine pushing President Donald Trump up the steps into the Marine One helicopter real? No, that's not true: A full version of the video shows the president's pants splitting, exposing a large hole in his underwear and the Marine's uniform is not authentic. It was obviously created by an artificial intelligence tool. The earliest…

Did Fortnite collaborate to honor the Turning Point USA founder with a "Charlie Kirk Bundle"? No, that's not true: There is no evidence on Fortnite's website of any collaboration involving Kirk and no such announcement can be found on a credible website. The claim that a Charlie Kirk Fortnite character has been created for the game appears to be an…

Did Marco Rubio confirm Rosie O'Donnell's passport was revoked after she forfeited her American citizenship? No, that's not true: The story originated on the "America's Last Line of Defense" Facebook page, which is self-described as satirical. The owner of the page is known for tricking conservatives into liking and sharing made-up content. There were no actual news stories about this.…

Was a Fort Collins, Colorado man, who described himself as a "wolf furry," mauled by wolves in Wyoming when he tried to join their pack? No, that's not true: The story circulating on social media originated on 'Casper Planet' a satirical Facebook page which posts fake stories that are based mainly in Wyoming. The page has a disclaimer that says,…

Were Rep. Nancy Pelosi's granddaughters arrested trying to smuggle narcotics into the United States? No, that's not true: The story originated on a Facebook page with a satire disclaimer. A search of news archives showed that the rumor was not even inadvertently accurate. The claim appeared in a July 16, 2025, post on Facebook (archived here), which contained a photo…