Lead Stories is reporting that several viral claims circulating online have been debunked. It said a video purporting to show President Donald Trump unveiling a "Trump 2028" hat in the Oval Office was digitally altered. The original Fox News segment, broadcast March 20, 2025, showed Trump revealing the Declaration of Independence to host Laura Ingraham. The fact-checking organization noted the presence of a "Dilley Meme Team" watermark and confirmed digital alteration using AI detection tools InVid and DeepFake-o-meter.
Lead Stories also reported that an AI-generated mugshot of Judge Hannah Dugan, shown crying in an orange jumpsuit after an alleged FBI arrest, is not real. It said two detection tools rated the chance of AI use at over 99%.
Additionally, the outlet debunked a widely shared image from Pope Francis' funeral that had been digitally edited to change the color and tone of clothes worn by several dignitaries, including Trump and former President Joe Biden.
Separately, Lead Stories fact-checked a claim that it is legal to own a child sex slave in California, stating this is not true.