The daily check-in

Trending, checked.

Twice a day we pull the posts going viral on TikTok, Instagram, X and Facebook and run them through the record. Each entry is a published verdict — what we found, why, and the sources behind it.

259 checks

Did Sen. Chuck Schumer say the ultimate goal is to give every illegal alien citizenship?

X · LeadingReport 6,448 likes, libsoftiktok 6,553, SteveCortes 5,033; fact-checks published 8-9 Oct as it kept spreading · resurfaced

True But

The quoted phrase in the post is a paraphrase of comments Schumer made on Nov. 16, 2022 saying the Democrats' 'ultimate goal' includes a path to citizenship for all undocumented immigrants. The line is real, but the post omits the original timing and context, making it misleading if presented as a recent admission.

PoliticsView details→

Did Pete Hegseth say Nidal Hasan will be executed by firing squad?

X · atrupar clip 1,288 likes; DOWResponse clip 3,707 likes; 'Execution will be streamed, says Pentagon' trending on Bluesky; Mediaite, HuffPost, Daily Beast, Raw Story, Fox, Radio-Canada coverage

True

The video is an authentic on-camera interview of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in which he says convicted Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan will be executed by an Army firing squad and that the execution will be public. Multiple reputable news outlets confirm the Army set the execution for Dec. 3, 2026 and that the Pentagon intends to livestream it; the execution is scheduled in the future and has not yet occurred.

PoliticsCrimeView details→

Did the DOJ release photos of Tumbler Ridge school shooter's guns with transgender pride colors?

X · Kanekoa post 15,539 likes; Elon Musk reply 'And yet again it happens' 12,938 likes (verify.py); Twitchy and Blaze coverage

True

Supported: the DOJ criminal complaint and news reporting show photos of the Tumbler Ridge shooter and firearms with transgender-pride colors; the victim count and ages cited in the post match official reporting about the Feb. 10, 2026 attack.

CrimePoliticsView details→

Will you be able to see fuel prices on Google Maps?

X · PM's own post: 15,583 likes and 23,712 replies (syndication API, 8 Oct ~14:40Z). Backlash posts quoted by HuffPost UK: @JamesMelville 2,951 likes, @augusteprompt 3,184. 'Google Maps', 'Fuel Duty', '20% VAT', 'Cut VAT' trending on X UK (trends24).

True

Andy Burnham’s post accurately announces that, from 8 October 2026, near real-time petrol and diesel prices in the UK are visible on Google Maps; this is confirmed by an official UK government press release the same day. The other statements in the post (global events pushing up costs, intent to help) are consistent with the press release and political messaging.

EconomyPoliticsView details→

What happened during the FBI's Operation Blackout takedown in Ghana?

X · 7,885 likes on X (verify.py), posted about 3.5h before capture. Picked up by Punch, Vanguard, Graphic Online, 3News, Adom, Yen and Gazette NG on 8 Oct. Ghana Police, EOCO and the Cyber Security Authority had made no statement

True But

FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X on October 8, 2026 that an Operation Blackout takedown in Ghana resulted in nearly $10 million in identified losses, 89 victims, 130+ detained individuals, and 300+ devices seized. Multiple news outlets quoted his post; no separate formal FBI press release or detailed Ghanaian government inventory was found at the time of checking, so the numbers are credible but currently rely on the Director’s public statement.

CrimePoliticsView details→

Did Trump claim his rally was filled despite showing empty seats?

X · Acyn clip 4,011 likes (verify.py); Newsweek explainer 'what videos show' and Daily Beast 'Shamed by Camera Showing Empty Seats' on Oct 8

True But

The video is authentic broadcast footage from Trump's Oct. 7, 2026 rally in San Antonio. Trump claimed the arena was 'filled' and 'maxed out' for a midterm, while live camera pans (C-SPAN) showed dozens of empty seats in the upper sections; multiple reputable outlets reported the same visual contradiction.

PoliticsView details→

What measures did Gideon Sa'ar announce against the UK?

X · 2,159 likes on X (verify.py syndication); MEE says the claim has no public evidence and the UK MoD and Foreign Office declined to address it; consulate row covered by Al Jazeera, JNS, Arab News, JPost on 8 Oct

True But

Gideon Sa'ar’s post correctly states that the countermeasures he announced on Sept 8 were acted on; multiple reputable outlets report that those steps (including removal of British representatives from the International Gaza Support Centre and a drawdown of staff at the British Jerusalem mission) were implemented or carried out in a negotiated form on Oct 8, 2026. Some elements (the consulate’s formal closure) were adjusted in a diplomatic understanding, so the claim is true overall but with caveats.

PoliticsConflictView details→

Did the Ottumwa City Council open a meeting with a prayer to Satan?

X · Libs of TikTok post 43,528 likes; Riley Gaines reaction 23,999 likes (verify.py); Fox News, Blaze, Twitchy coverage

True

Verified. The city's official meeting recording and multiple independent news reports confirm that at the Ottumwa City Council's Oct. 6, 2026 meeting a scheduled invocation by Matt Dalbey included the phrases 'Dear dark father' and ended 'It is done. Hail Satan.' The Libs of TikTok caption accurately describes the recording.

PoliticsOtherView details→

Did Trump say 'let Iran hit Los Angeles or San Diego'?

X · DNC post 2,957 likes; Aaron Rupar clip 7,240 likes (verify.py); CNN's Daniel Dale says it is out of context (x.com/ddale8/status/2108008620944216173); covered by Mediaite, Twitchy, CBS, Daily Beast

True

The video clip is authentic rally footage and the caption correctly paraphrases Trump repeating the line 'let them hit ... San Diego or Los Angeles' while discussing the Iran war; multiple major news outlets and a FactCheck.org analysis confirm the remark and its context.

PoliticsConflictView details→

Is Starlink licensed in over 165 countries according to Elon Musk?

X · 25,912 likes on the post within about an hour (verify.py); follows Musk's 7 Oct 'oligarchs blocking Starlink' post; India's Ministry of Communications called the claim 'baseless and misconceived'; front-page coverage in India Today, HT, Dawn, Deccan Herald

Misleading

The post mixes accurate, unverified and misleading elements. SpaceX/Starlink reports licensing in roughly 164 countries (not clearly over 165), Starlink obtained a key Indian licence in June 2025 but is reported to still be awaiting security clearances and spectrum, and the government's official response rejects Musk's suggestion that private oligarchs (e.g., Ambani) are blocking Starlink.

TechnologyEconomyView details→

Did the US Secretary of State say Iran lost control of the Strait of Hormuz?

YouTube · Said at an Athens press conference on 7 Oct. Covered by The National, Al-Monitor ('Rubio says Iran lost Hormuz. Has it?'), IBTimes, A News and Iran International. IRGC adviser Naqdi says the strait is closed. Kpler: Gulf exports 18.3m bpd vs a pre-war average of 18m

True But

The caption accurately reports a statement by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on October 7, 2026; independent ship‑tracking data cited by major news outlets show Gulf oil flows recovering to near prewar levels, supporting Rubio's claim that Iran no longer has exclusive control of the Strait of Hormuz, though Iranian officials dispute that and attacks on shipping continue.

ConflictEconomyView details→

Did Donald J. Trump post about Armageddon and a vision from God?

X · 5,412 likes, 253 replies (X syndication, 2026-10-08); Lead Stories fact-check 2026-10-07

False

The image is a fabricated screenshot falsely attributing an apocalyptic message to Donald J. Trump. Multiple recent fact-checks report no evidence the president posted this message on his official social accounts and identify the circulating image as fake.

PoliticsView details→

Are Republicans outperforming Democrats in mail voting in Pennsylvania for 2026?

X · 28,177 likes, 1,284 replies (X syndication, 2026-10-08)

False

The video is authentic, but the numeric claims about Pennsylvania mail-ballot requests (Republicans up 50,000 and Democrats down 90,000 vs. 2022) are not supported by Pennsylvania Department of State reporting and contemporaneous news coverage; the post's central statistical assertions are false.

PoliticsView details→

Did Pete Hegseth trail behind the crowd while running with troops?

X · 7,094 likes (syndication, 2026-10-08); Irish Star says Hegseth is 'being flamed online'

Can't Verify

Authentic broadcast footage (C-SPAN watermark visible) appears to show a man identified by social posts as Pete Hegseth trailing behind other runners during a group run in San Diego on Oct 7, 2026. Independent corroboration is limited to social reposts and commentary rather than major news outlets, so the identification is likely but not confirmed with high certainty.

PoliticsView details→

Did Rama Duwaji illustrate for Olive Odyssey and feature Khalil Abu Osba?

X · 535 likes (X syndication, 2026-10-08); picked up by Twitchy and Mediaite 2026-10-07

True But

Rama Duwaji is credited by Olive Odyssey as an illustrator and the company sells a Nazareth-branded bottle with label art matching the image shown. Reporting that the portrait is of "Khalil Abu Osba," a militant who shot down a British plane, is made by the Washington Free Beacon but could not be independently corroborated within the available search results, so the post mixes verifiable association (artwork credit) with a contested or unverified historical identification.

PoliticsView details→

Did Marco Rubio receive a standing ovation in Germany?

X · 10,563 likes (X syndication, 2026-10-08); Trump Truth Social repost 2026-10-07 7:07 AM ET (trumpstruth.org); CiberCuba/CubaHeadlines coverage 2026-10-07 · resurfaced

True But

The video is authentic footage from the Munich Security Conference on February 14, 2026 showing Secretary of State Marco Rubio being applauded; multiple credible sources confirm he received a standing ovation and that his speech criticised mass migration and referenced shared Western/Christian heritage. The post’s wording is partisan and compresses/paraphrases his remarks; time‑sensitive claims in the caption (for example that he was "now in Greece TODAY") were not verified from the sources checked here.

PoliticsView details→

Is there a gold-plated, naked Donald Trump statue in the European Parliament?

X · 10,304 likes (X syndication, 2026-10-08); Twitchy write-up 2026-10-07; Snopes fact-check published 2026-10-07 ('Do photos show gold statue of naked Trump at European Parliament?')

True

Verified: the photograph shows a real satirical sculpture by Jens Galschiøt called The Orange Plague that was installed and displayed inside the European Parliament in Strasbourg in early October 2026. The post's factual claims about the statue and its location are correct; the poster's moral judgement is an opinion.

PoliticsOtherView details→

Did Santiago Abascal urge Spaniards not to vote by mail?

X · 32,482 likes on vox_es post; 22,376 likes on English @Inevitablewest version (verify.py syndication); Maldita says narrative spread in four languages

True But

The video is authentic Antena 3 broadcast footage of Santiago Abascal on Espejo Público (5 Oct 2026). He did urge Spaniards to vote in person and said he did not trust Pedro Sánchez; however his claim that Sánchez 'has all his entourage in jail' is a partisan rhetorical accusation for which there is no factual evidence.

PoliticsView details→

Are there secret night flights arriving at Manchester Airport?

X · Davies post 7,411 likes; Oakeshott post 12,255 likes (X syndication); MEN says the post was 'widely shared'; MEN fact-check 6 Oct, Yahoo/PA 5 Oct

False

A published 'whistleblower' interview claims secret night flights carry 200–300 people into Manchester Airport; local investigation and aviation experts say the claims are false or implausible and the photo used as evidence is misattributed, so the post's central allegation is not supported.

PoliticsOtherView details→

Are many police officers in France stepping down and supporting protesters?

X · 6,473 likes on X (verify.py syndication); debunked by Maldita, Newtral and Facta

False

The video appears to be authentic footage from Paris protests, but the caption's claim that 'many police officers in France are stepping down and standing with the protestors' is false. Major news outlets report police clashing with protesters and making arrests, not large-scale defections to the demonstrators.

PoliticsView details→

What happened on October 7 and the claims about Israel?

X · 8,288 likes (X syndication); covered by The Independent and JFeed on 7 Oct

Misleading

The clip is an AI-generated Lego-style animation posted by the Prime Minister's official account to mark the October 7 anniversary and to rebut 'genocide' accusations. Its description of the October 7 attacks and Hamas vows is supported by reporting; its legal conclusion (that Israel is not committing genocide) is contested by independent inquiries and international legal processes, and some numeric details (e.g., the polio campaign total) differ from contemporaneous reporting.

ConflictPoliticsView details→

Does this video show a protest in Pakistan for Imran Khan?

X · Turkish post 1,740 likes; Arabic version by @ALI_AL_QUSHAIBI 4,211 likes ('millions of citizens'); another Arabic post 1,756 likes; English/Arabic/Turkish versions (X syndication). Misbar rates misleading: footage is from an All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (India) event

Misleading

The video itself appears to be authentic footage of a large crowd, but fact-checks trace the clip to an Indian religious/political gathering (All India Muslim Personal Law Board / jalsa) rather than a Pakistan protest calling for Imran Khan's freedom; the caption is therefore misleading.

PoliticsConflictView details→

What did Ben Shapiro say about protests disrupting his film production?

X · 18,387 likes on Shapiro post; follow-up 9,654 likes (X syndication); HuffPost and Mediaite coverage

True But

Most factual elements of Ben Shapiro's tweet are supported by contemporaneous local reporting: producers alleged threats and disruptions, hired security, the Livingston City Commission temporarily suspended the film permit and then reinstated it after a public hearing in early October 2026. The tweet's causal claim that commissioners 'backed down because we threatened to sue' is plausible (a demand letter and First Amendment arguments were part of the record) but not definitively established as the sole reason for reinstatement.

PoliticsOtherView details→

Did Senator Katie Britt say 'America deserved 9/11'?

X · 13,625 likes (X syndication); Lead Stories fact-check Oct 6

Misleading

The video is authentic and does capture Katie Britt repeating the words 'America deserved 9/11,' but she is quoting Hasan Piker to criticize Democrats; the post's caption that she "stated that she thinks 'America deserved 9/11'" is misleading because it omits that attribution and context. Independent fact-checkers have flagged the clip for lacking context.

PoliticsView details→