Your weekly fact-checks
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#TrumpCheck
DW - Deutsche Welle
Mostly False: "Regime change was not our goal. We never said regime change, but regime change has occurred because of the deaths of all of their original leaders. They're all dead"
Although Trump stated at the outset that regime change was not a goal, he later claimed it had taken place — even as key figures including President Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Araghchi, and Chief Justice Mohseni Ejei remain in their posts, and Khamenei's son has stepped in to continue his father's role as Supreme Leader.
DW - Deutsche Welle
False: "We're now totally independent of the Middle East, and yet we are there to help. We don't have to be there. We don't need their oil."
Despite being the world's largest crude oil producer, the US still imports a significant share of its oil — 8.5% of crude imports came from the Persian Gulf in 2025 — making Trump's claim of complete energy independence from the Middle East false. As one expert notes, greater self-sufficiency does not insulate the US from global oil market pressures, particularly those stemming from a conflict it helped initiate.
Snopes
Trump: In March 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump said of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, "He didn't think he'd be kissing my a**."
The clip is real. Trump remarked at a Future Investment Initiative conference in Miami on March 27, 2026, in comments reflecting the close economic alliance his administration has cultivated with Saudi Arabia, which included hosting the Crown Prince at the White House in November 2025. The Prince has not publicly responded.
#Politics
Snopes
False: House Speaker Mike Johnson was caught on a "hot mic" saying it would be "huge" for the Republican Party if the SAVE America Act decreased voter turnout to between 12% and 18%.
A Forbes live video captured Speaker Mike Johnson, Governor Jeff Landry, and Rep. Steve Scalise in a pre-event conversation about an upcoming Louisiana election, but shortened clips were shared online with misleading captions falsely implying they were discussing the SAVE America Act reducing voter turnout. In reality, Landry was estimating a turnout increase for an unrelated state election and actual turnout ultimately exceeded even his projection.
India Today
False: During an election rally, PM Modi was heckled with questions about the gas shortage.
The man in the video is not PM Modi. He’s a lookalike called Sadanada Nayak, who often visits BJP rallies.
#Healthcare
Vera Files
False: An "emergency lockdown" will be implemented starting Apr. 10 due to the alleged threat of new COVID-19 variant, "Cicada" in the Philippines.
At least two Facebook pages are circulating a graphic claiming that an "emergency lockdown" will be implemented starting Apr. 10 due to the alleged threat of the new COVID-19 variant, "Cicada," in the Philippines. This is fake and was dismissed by the Department of Health.
#Economy
Snopes
False: In March 2026, the U.S. Department of the Treasury declared the U.S. government insolvent.
A viral claim that the U.S. Treasury had declared the government insolvent originated from a Fortune opinion piece by economist Steve Hanke, who drew on real Treasury figures but applied household accounting logic that most experts consider an imperfect analogy for sovereign finances. While the U.S. carries one of the world's highest debt-to-GDP ratios and both the Treasury and GAO have flagged its fiscal trajectory as "unsustainable," neither the Treasury nor any official body declared the government insolvent or unable to honour its debts.
Lead Stories
False: Fox News reports Florida man refuses to pay taxes because he did not personally approve any of the spending.
The Facebook account that originally posted the story is a satire page. It states it is "totally made-up entertainment," where the "stories are just wild enough to almost be real."
#Conflicts
PolitiFact
Mostly-True: "Bombing civilian power infrastructure is a war crime.”
Bombing civilian power infrastructure amounts to a war crime under a widely accepted interpretation of international law. The U.S. could argue that a particular attack is justified because the infrastructure had a dual civilian-military use and that the benefit from the enemy’s military setback was greater than the harm to civilians. U.S. officials are unlikely to be prosecuted for any alleged war crimes because neither the U.S. nor Iran is a member of the International Criminal Court.
Newschecker
False: An Israeli pilot was captured alive in Iran after his jet crashed.
A video circulating with the claim that it showed an Israeli pilot captured in Iran was found through reverse image search to actually depict far-right activist Jake Lang being injured during a confrontation at a Minneapolis protest he organised in January 2026. Lang had arranged a small rally at Minneapolis City Hall in support of stricter immigration enforcement, which drew hundreds of counter-protesters, and the footage was covered at the time by both CNN and The Guardian.
#Nordics
Tjekdet
Falsk: Der forekommer adskillige brand- og pyrotekniske hændelser over hele Danmark.
Flere lokale Falck-afdelinger i Danmark har på Facebook brugt AI-genererede billeder til at dramatisere nødsituationer, herunder ved at fremstille en mindre røghændelse som en voldsom skibsbrand – i strid med virksomhedens egne retningslinjer, der kræver autentiske billeder. Eksperter har advaret om, at denne praksis risikerer at normalisere vildledende billeder fra troværdige myndigheder og underminere offentlighedens tillid til redningstjenesterne.
#WTF?! What The Fact of the week
Snopes
True: A Principal banned candy canes because they are shaped like J's for 'Jesus'.
A Nebraska elementary school principal made national news after sending a memo banning candy canes, Christmas trees, reindeer, and other Christmas-related items from classrooms, citing the candy cane's supposed religious symbolism — a claim that is itself a myth with no historical basis. The school district placed the principal on leave and clarified that the memo did not reflect district policy.
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