Did House Speaker Mike Johnson warn Republicans that if they lose the midterm elections that Democrats will go after "the rest of you who have committed crimes"? No, that's not true: Video from the event where he made the remarks shows he
Here are the latest articles published by U.S. fact-checking sites:
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Elon Musk Did NOT Make X Post Saying He’s Developing App For ‘Bored Billionaires’ to Pay Other People’s Bills
Did Elon Musk announce on his X account that he is making an app with which "bored billionaires" pay other people's bills? No, that's not true: Musk's account does not show that he ever made such a post. No established news outlets publis
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Old Video Does NOT Show Iranian Attack On U.S. Aircraft Carrier On Nov. 3, 2026 — It’s AI-Generated Clip
Does a viral video show an Iranian attack on a U.S. carrier on Nov. 3, 2026? No, that's not true: The claim recycled an AI video that had been online for months before that day. Lead Stories previously debunked another claim that used the
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FBI Did NOT Find More Than 20,000 Fraudulent Ballots in Houston Storage Locker, ‘All For Democrats’
Did the FBI find more than 20,000 fraudulent ballots in a Houston storage locker, "all for Democrats"? No, that's not true: The false story originated from social media accounts that regularly publish satirical content. The creator's Face
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Kanye West Did NOT Comment on Situation in Poland Standing Outside Constitutional Court in Warsaw
Did rapper Kanye West share his thoughts on the situation in Poland while being interviewed in front of the country's Constitutional Court by TV Republika? No, that's not true: Neither the website of the TV station nor its YouTube account
FactCheck.org→ The 2026 FactCheck Awards
As fact-checkers, we watch a lot of ads in the lead-up to elections, and we only write about a fraction of them. Some of them are downright bizarre. As we first started doing 20 years ago — just for fun — on Election Day, we’re givin
Full Fact→ Viral video does not show boy being arrested for fishing
Cumbria Police told Full Fact the video shows officers responding to a report of a child in possession of a knife, and the interaction had no connection to fishing. No knife was found and there were no arrests.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Bad Bunny Was NOT on Plane That Crashed in South Florida — All 9 Victims Identified
Did the plane that crashed in Palm Beach County, Fla., on Nov. 1, 2026, have Bad Bunny on board? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found no matching reports from established news outlets that Bad Bunny was aboard the Learjet that went dow
Full Fact→ Smear test brushes sterilised with ethylene oxide are safe
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: U.S. Midterm Election Is NOT On Wednesday — Despite What FBI New Haven Post Said
Is the U.S. Midterm Election held on a Wednesday in 2026, as the official account of the FBI's New Haven branch posted? No, that's not true: According to 2 U.S.C. 7, elections are to be held "the Tuesday next after the 1st Monday in Novem
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show Elon Musk’s Helicopter Landing On A Road To Get Food — It’s A Medical Helicopter At The Scene Of An Accident
Does a video show Elon Musk's helicopter blocking traffic on a busy road just to get some food? No, that's not true: The video shows a medical helicopter at the scene of a traffic accident involving a concrete truck which tipped over on i
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Image Does NOT Show Sen. Chris Murphy In Hospital After A Stroke — It’s Someone Hospitalized In England
Does an image show Sen. Chris Murphy in the hospital following a stroke? No, that's not true: The account that posted the image describes itself as a parody account, and Lead Stories found no matching reports from established news outlets
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Brazil Did NOT Launch ‘Food Embargo’ On Europe — Its Exports Such As Beef Were Halted In September 2026 By EU Over Antimicrobial Drugs
Did Brazil enact a "food embargo" on Europe? No, that's not true: The website of the Brazilian government said nothing about it. No established media organizations published any reports about it, either: there were only stories related to
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Photos Do NOT Show Pickup Truck Carrying Ballots ‘Southbound On The 215 And Clinton Keith’ In Menifee, California
Do photos show a pickup truck carrying ballots "southbound on the 215 and Clinton Keith" in Menifee, California? No, that's not true: The U.S. Postal Service said, "There is no evidence that the items being transported were in Postal Serv
FactCheck.org→ Common Themes in the 2026 Midterms
Over the course of this election, we’ve monitored key toss-up congressional races, fact-checking false claims and distortions of the facts on a host of topics. But some issues have loomed larger than others. Before the Election Day polls open
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Image Of ‘Anna Blackwell’ With Trump Entourage Is AI-Generated
Is there a person named "Anna Blackwell" who is in the U.S. Army and has traveled with President Donald Trump's entourage? No, that's not true: The image is AI-generated, as are several other images posted on the account in question. "Bla
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Abdul El-Sayed Did NOT Say ‘Your Daughters Are Going To See Male Genitalia Anyway, So Who Cares If They See It In Their Locker Room’
Did Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed say, "Your daughters are going to see male genitalia anyway, so who cares if they see it in their locker room," during his appearance on CBS' "60 Minutes"? No, that's not true: El-Sayed never m
FactCheck.org→ In Kansas, Both Sides Twist the Facts in Accusations of Protecting Pedophiles
In Kansas’ tight Senate race, ads from Democratic and Republican outside groups are accusing the other party’s candidate of having protected pedophiles. In both cases, the attacks are misleading or unsupported by the evidence. Ads from Demo
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Photo Shows Malia Obama Kissing a Girl — It Is AI
Is a photo that shows Malia Obama kissing a girl real? No, that's not true: Hive Moderation determined the image was 99.9% likely to be AI-generated. The post came from an account known for satirical content. The claim appeared in a post
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: DENIAL From Pilot Who Posted About Flying Lenny Kravitz — NOT in Florida Learjet Crash
Was the crashed Learjet in Florida piloted by Emily Shelton, who posted on Facebook about flying Lenny Kravitz? No, that's not true: Shelton, who is famous for performing an emergency landing on I-10 in Florida, posted a denial to her Tik
Full Fact→ Waterstones isn’t offering cheap ‘Bestsellers Boxes’ in Facebook posts
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: AI-Enhanced Image NOT Actual Photo of Learjet Crash in Florida — Wings and Engine Visible in Real Footage
Does a real, sharp photo that went viral on social media actually show the Learjet that crashed in Palm Beach, Florida, on Nov. 1, 2026? No, that's not true: The image, which shows the plane with a missing wing, a deformed engine without
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Trump Did NOT Walk ‘Old Woman’ Home After Iowa Rally — Image Is AI-Generated
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
FactCheck.org→ Talarico Ad Omits Details of Crystal Mason’s Illegal Voting Case
One of the closing ads from Democrat James Talarico in the Texas Senate race says that Crystal Mason received a five-year prison sentence for illegal voting “because of Ken Paxton’s crackdown on voters of color.” But there’s more t
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Gadi Eisenkot Was NOT Declared New Israel PM, As Of October 30, 2026 — Country Still Deadlocked
Was Gadi Eisenkot declared the new prime minister of Israel, as of Oct. 30, 2026, replacing Benjamin Netanyahu in this role as a result of the 2026 legislative election? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found no credible reports confirmi
FactCheck.org→ Explaining the Case of the Two Dan Sullivans on Alaska’s Ballot
In the Alaska Senate race, the candidacy of retired teacher Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. — not the incumbent Republican senator, Dan S. Sullivan — has been the subject of months of legal wrangling. But the issue took on increased national prominence thi
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE FOCUS Online News Report About ‘Eco Sanitation Act’ Limiting Toilet Flushing In Germany By 2027 — AI-Generated Audio
Did the German digital news outlet FOCUS Online report about an "Eco Sanitation Act" that will limit Germans to three flushes a day and five minute showers by 2027? No, that's not true: Online searches show FOCUS Online has not reported a
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Post OMITS ‘Lock On The Door’ From James Talarico’s ‘Welcome Mat’ Border Quote
Did James Talarico, a candidate for U.S. Senate in Texas in the 2026 midterm campaign, say that the U.S. should have a "welcome mat" on the southern border? Yes, he did, but that was not a full quote of his words: Talarico said the border
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Benjamin Netanyahu Did NOT Threaten Spain with ‘Sudden Power Outages And Train Accidents’
Did Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threaten Spain in 2026 by saying, "There could be sudden power outages and train accidents"? No, that's not true: The video is a copy of an April 10, 2026, statement in which Netanyahu said he
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show A Trump Supporter Who Was Stabbed Outside A Rally In Chillicothe, Ohio — Police Say No Stabbing Occurred
Does a video show a Trump supporter who was stabbed outside a rally in Chillicothe, Ohio, on Oct. 28, 2026? No, that's not true: A Chillicothe Police spokesperson said "there was no stabbing". During a fight an officer broke up, the clip
Full Fact→ Baseless claim that Henry Kissinger gave a WHO speech about ‘mandatory forcible’ vaccinations recirculates
Social media posts are once again claiming the former US Secretary of State gave a speech about vaccinations being used as “extermination services”.
FactCheck.org→ NH Ad Distorts the Facts in Claiming Pappas Grew Rich in Office
An ad airing in the New Hampshire Senate race tells viewers that Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas is “out for himself,” using cherry-picked figures to falsely claim that his net worth has skyrocketed while in office. The ad also suggests that he vo
Full Fact→ Airlines are not banning vaccinated people from flying
Similar claims have been circulating online since 2021, but there is no evidence any airline bans vaccinated people from flying.
Full Fact→ Income tax and national debt both existed 100 years ago
Full Fact→ Video supposedly showing Muslim woman telling people to ‘cover up’ is fake
Full Fact→ Post from ‘Nobel Committee member’ is satire
A satirical post about Donald Trump’s efforts to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize has been shared on Facebook as if it’s from an actual Nobel Committee member.
Full Fact→ Toby Carvery isn’t giving away a free carvery to celebrate ‘National Yorkshire Pudding Week’
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Pat McAfee Did NOT Say He Would Join ESPN’s GameDay By Zoom Due To Security Concerns
Did analyst Pat McAfee say he would join ESPN's College GameDay by Zoom due to security concerns? No, that's not true: The claim originated from a parody account. Lead Stories found no matching reports from established news outlets confir
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Video of Susan Dell Dancing Was AI-Generated
Does a real video show philanthropist Susan Dell wearing a red dress and dancing at an outdoor patio gathering? No, that's not true: The video is AI-generated and was posted with AI disclaimers on Instagram on Oct. 16, 2026. Content detec
FactCheck.org→ Data Centers and Electricity Prices: It’s Not as Simple as Voters May Think
It’s now taken for granted that data centers across the U.S. are driving up electricity prices. As many Americans have soured on the energy-consuming facilities powering digital life and the AI boom, the issue has become central to the midterm elect