Was a Florida man arrested after Polk County fire marshals discovered 600 gallons of unleaded gasoline stored in an above-ground swimming pool in his backyard? No, that's not true: The claim originated on a Facebook page that acknowledges
Search Results (1050) for: joke
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Former U.S. Army Chief Of Staff Gen. Randy George Has NOT Been Detained On Suspicion Of Treason — It’s A Joke
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
Lead Stories→ Running List Of 2026 April Fool’s Day Jokes
Oh, joy! It is the most wonderful day of the year (if you are a fact checker)... April Fool's Day is upon us, that day when every outlet, brand, influencer and Internet jokester under the sun tries to come up with something original to fo
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Jason Aldean Did NOT Walk Off Set Of Stephen Colbert’s Show Over Trump Joke
Did country singer Jason Aldean walk off the set of Stephen Colbert's TV show over a joke about Donald Trump? No, that's not true: The story originated on a Facebook page known for its satirical content. The image supporting the claim is
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Wolff’s Book About Trump Does NOT Mention ‘Gorilla Channel’ — It’s A Joke From 2018
Does a viral screenshot deliver a real extract from Michael Wolff's book about U.S. President Donald Trump demanding a "gorilla channel" in the White House? No, that's not true: It's an old joke that first emerged in January 2018 as a res
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Joke Post Said Epstein Photo With ‘Why We Fight’ Caption Inserted In ‘Manual For Warfighters’ By Army Prankster — Not Real
Did an Army prankster insert a photo of Jeffrey Epstein captioned "WHY WE FIGHT" into a "Manual for Warfighters" published by Pete Hegseth? No, that's not true: That story came from a satirical account on X that posts comedy content. Ther
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Waffle House Did NOT Announce Plans for Floating Restaurants On Lakes In Southeastern U.S. — It’s A Joke
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
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Tampa International Airport Did NOT Ban Pajamas — The Tweet Is A Joke
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 de
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Bernie Sanders Joke Meme About Owning Companies And Bank Accounts In China Originated On Satire Page
Did a meme about the "National Intelligence Agency" discovering Bernie Sanders owns several companies and bank accounts in China originate from actual news reports? No, that's not true: It originated on a satirical Facebook page run by a
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Harvard University Scientists Did NOT Construct A 3D Model Of "Mary Mother of Jesus" — This Likeness Of Madonna Is An AI-Generated Joke
Did scientists at Harvard University create a 3D model depicting what Mary, Mother of Jesus, might have looked like? No, that's not true: This is an AI-generated image based on the likeness of Madonna, the "Queen of Pop". The joke post fo
PolitiFact→ Trevor Noah joked about Trump having visited Epstein's island, but documents don't show that
Trevor Noah’s comment about Trump and Epstein, explained
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: ‘Chair Chase’ Video Of ICE Agents Chasing Huge Hand Giving ‘The Finger’ On Minneapolis Street Is NOT Real — AI Made This Joke
Is a video showing ICE agents chase a man, who is sitting in an office chair covered by a large hand "giving the middle finger," down a Minneapolis street real? No, that's not true: The short video originated on social media accounts that
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: ICE Vehicles Are NOT Being Towed And Impounded In Atlanta, ICE NOT Banned On State Roads By 10th Amendment — It’s A Joke
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 amendmen
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Joke 3D Rendering Shows Kanye West NOT 14th-Century ruler Mali Ruler Mansa Musa Reconstructed By Harvard Researchers
Did researchers associated with Harvard University create a 3D model of Mansa Musa, the 14th-century ruler of the Mali Empire? No, that's not true: This image does not show a forensic and digital reconstruction of Mansa Musa. It is a rend
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Photo Of Arm With ‘IV’ Was NOT Released By DHS As Evidence Of ICE Agent Jonathan Ross Internal Bleeding — Old Joke Photo
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 st
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: JOKE Post Said Roblox Was Shutting Down On January 1st — NO Actual Announcement
Did the company behind the Roblox video game announce it is "shutting down on January 1st"? No, that's not true: A viral screenshot of such a message appeared on an account labeled "parody" on X. It did not come from the official company
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Prank About Mountain Collapse Near Casper, Wyoming Was Joke Post From Satirical Facebook Page
Did "an entire unnamed mountain" collapse into itself near Casper, Wyoming at the end of 2025 and were emergency crews from several states mobilizing? No, that's not true: A viral post and image making that claim originated on a satirical
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: A Real Domino’s Employee Did NOT Climb Japan’s Mount Fuji To Deliver A Pepperoni Pizza — Story Spun From A Japanese Hiker’s Cosplay Joke
Did a real Domino's delivery rider in Japan carry a pepperoni pizza in an insulated backpack to the top of Mount Fuji? No, that's not true: An AI-generated photo and story circulating on social media are not real, but they are based on so
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Iwona B. Horyn IS The Real Name Of The Acting Chief Security Officer At DHS — Not A Joke
Is Iwona B. Horyn the real name of the acting chief security officer at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security? Yes, that's true: Some social media users have questioned if this was a joke, but Horyn's name is listed on several pages of
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Arabic Numerals Joke Posts About Zohran Mamdani Are New Twist On Old Joke
Does Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani have a plan to require all New York students to learn Arabic numerals? No, that's not true: Viral posts making that claim are satirical in nature because Arabic numerals are already widely used everywhere i
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: President Trump Did NOT Ask Transportation And Commerce Departments To Introduce 15-Year Car Loans — It’s A Joke
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
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: J.K. Rowling Does NOT Have Cancer — Rumor Was Sparked By A Joke Posted On Social Media
Is it public knowledge that author J.K. Rowling has cancer? No, that's not true: There have been no official announcements or evidence-based reporting that Rowling has cancer. The viral rumor on social media appears to have started with a
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Comedy Video Of Girl Finding Out Apple Pay Uses Real Dollars Instead Of ‘Apple Dollars’ Is Just A Joke
Is a viral video of a girl crying in front of the camera because she didn't realize Apple Pay used "real American Dollars from your credit card" and not "Apple Dollars" real? No, that's not true: The video was a skit by comedian Tina Vlam
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Arthur MacWaters Was NOT Fired From Cracker Barrel — Joke Post, Never Worked There
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 re
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Jon Stewart Did NOT Joke About Karoline Leavitt’s Brain ‘Missing Makeup’ To Her Face On TV
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
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Indiana Fever Did NOT Sign ‘Gertrud Schlaghammer’ — Joke Post From Satire Page
Did basketball team Indiana Fever sign up Gertrud Schlaghammer to protect star player Caitlin Clark? No, that's not true: The announcement about the "former Olympic Greco Roman wrestling silver medalist and ex-German special forces opera
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Satirical New ‘Kamala Harris For The People’ Logo Made ‘As A Joke’ According To Creator
Is a viral "Kamala Harris For The People" graphic a real new campaign logo? No, that's not true: It was created as a joke by a conservative Florida content creator. He posted comments on YouTube and X describing how he had found the artwo
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Chick-fil-A Did NOT Drop A Pride Month Ad In June 2025 With A Joke About Pickles
Did Chick-Fil-A drop a new advertisement for Pride Month 2025 that includes the slogan "Our pickles don't touch. Just like God intended."? No, that's not true: The ad is a fake and has circulated online for several years. There is no trac
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Joke Meme About Springsteen Royalties ‘Tanking’ And WDKT Baltimore DJ Radio Boycott NOT Real
Was a story about Bruce Springsteen's royalties "tanking" because of a radio boycott of his catalog that also mentioned "WDKT Baltimore Morning Drive DJ Joey Barron" real? No, that's not true: A viral meme that included a fictional DJ and
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Warren Buffett Did NOT Publish ‘Sell American. I Am.’ Opinion Article — Joke Screenshot
Did investor Warren Buffett publish an opinion article titled "Sell American. I Am" on April 11, 2025? No, that's not true: A viral image purporting to be a screenshot of such an article was created as a joke according to the account that
Lead Stories→ Running List Of April Fools’ Day Pranks And Jokes Spotted On April 1, 2025
It's that day of the year again! April Fools' Day is upon us. We're keeping a running list of the online jokes we spot this year. Seen one we missed? Email tips@leadstories.com and let us know! Flightradar24 Airplane tracking website Flig
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: FAKE Photo Shows Turkey Protesters Dressed as Batman, Joker, Spiderman, Pikachu
Did an authentic photo show protesters in Turkey in March 2025, dressed as The Joker, Batman, Pikachu and Spiderman? No, that's not true: the image was AI-generated and was first posted by an X user whose bio contained the disclaimer "All
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: INAUTHENTIC Audio Suggests BBC Reporter Joked On Open Mic That Trump F***ed Zelenskyy In Oval Office Meeting
Did a video clip shared to X authentically show a BBC reporter joking the February 28, 2025 Oval Office meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Donald Trump was " ... the second time that a U.S. president f**
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: President Trump Did NOT Sign Executive Order Banning HOAs — Video Is A Joke
Did President Donald Trump sign an executive order banning HOAs (Homeowner Associations) in the United States? No, that's not true: The TikTok video making the claim offered no evidence it was real and it appeared to have been posted as a
The Dispatch→ ‘The Penguin’ Succeeds Where ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Failed
Of the two Batman spin-offs from this fall, only one offered a compelling villain.
PolitiFact→ Threads posts – Video shows a Brazilian demonstration, not Puerto Ricans responding to a racist Trump rally joke
Video shows people “marching in Puerto Rico” after former President Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally.
PolitiFact→ Ask PolitiFact: Could Elon Musk’s assassination ‘jokes’ compromise security clearance?
In a Sept. 15 X post that prompted immediate backlash, Elon Musk said, “And no one is even trying to assassinate Biden/Kamala 🤔.” Some X users questioned whether Musk’s post could jeopardize his security clearance. Here’s what we know.
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Texas Woman Did NOT Bake Bread In Outdoor Mailbox In Sweltering Heat of June 2024 — Post Started As Joke
Did a Texas woman bake bread in her mailbox using the sweltering heat of June 2024? No, that's not true: The woman shown in a social media post originally shared an image of her pulling a loaf of bread from her mailbox as a joke about sum
Lead Stories→ Fact Check: Disney Did NOT Buy Jeffrey Epstein’s Island — Joke Website Originated Claim
Did the Walt Disney Company buy Jeffrey Epstein's island? No, that's not true: The social media post showed the website that made the claim, which is a site that clearly states they are "the world's best satire and parody site." They expl
Truth or Fiction?→ April Fools Joke Craft
1. Unpredictability A joke that catches us off guard does so by leading us down one path only to abruptly shift us onto another. This unexpected detour sparks our laughter. The surprise element in a punchline works because it plays against our pre