MeidasTouch Full Podcast - 10/27/26

What it claims

Claims

1. 1MixedThe Trump Justice Department filed a criminal complaint against former FBI Director James Comey.The Justice Department did file new charges against Comey over 2016 classified-information leaks, which the post and claim describe. However, the main tier-1 reports (Reuters, AP, WaPo, NPR, CNN, UPI) say the charging document was a 'criminal information,' not a criminal complaint; only Courthouse News calls it a complaint, so the document type is contested.9 sources →
2. 2TrueMaurene Comey won a court ruling ordering her reinstatement and back pay.Multiple tier1 sources (Reuters, AP, The Hill) report that on October 26, 2026, Judge Jesse Furman ruled Maurene Comey's firing unlawful and ordered retroactive reinstatement and back pay, so the claim held as of its October 27 posting date. The claim's wording matches the passage, and the post's 'filed as' framing is not an addition; the ruling was issued on October 26, which the post describes as the same period.6 sources →
3. 3TrueScott Bessent is the Treasury Secretary.The claim that Scott Bessent is the Treasury Secretary is supported by multiple sources: the official Treasury page (79th Secretary), AP's Cabinet tracker confirming him as Treasury Secretary since Jan 27, 2025, Reuters coverage of his August 2026 actions, and Britannica. The extraction 'Scott Besson' is a transcription error for Bessent in the passage, which the claim correctly resolves; the claim holds as of 2026-08-21 and remains true at the check date.4 sources →
4. 4TrueScott Bessent is conducting an economic pressure campaign against Iran.The claim is supported: the U.S. Treasury launched 'Operation Economic Outcast,' an economic pressure campaign against Iran, on August 24, 2026, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent led it through October. The claim is faithful to the passage, which describes the same campaign, and it was accurate as of the October 27 posting date.4 sources →
5. 5TruePresident Lula defeated Flavio Bolsonaro in the Brazilian election.Multiple tier1 and tier2 sources (AP, Reuters, BBC, NPR, NYT) report that Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won the October 25, 2026 runoff over Flávio Bolsonaro by about 4 million votes (roughly 51.8% to 48.2%), with Bolsonaro refusing to concede; the claim's wording matches the passage and the sources, and the 'Donald Trump stooge' characterization is rhetoric not graded here.5 sources →

   ▶ 1:04

6. 6MixedFlavio Bolsonaro refuses to concede the election in Brazil.The claim is grounded in the post: Bolsonaro initially refused to concede on Sunday October 25, 2026, and Reuters, BBC and NPR reported that refusal. By October 26-27, however, Bloomberg, Washington Post, Democracy Now and VOZ reported that he backed off his annulment challenge and effectively conceded, while NPR on October 27 still said he had not formally conceded. As of the October 27 check date the sources conflict on whether he still refused, and later AP and Reuters reports describe the refusal in past tense.9 sources →

   ▶ 1:11

7. 7MixedFlavio Bolsonaro claims his passport has been confiscated due to criminal investigations into his corruption.The passport seizure is well documented: the Supreme Court ordered his passports seized, and they were cancelled after he missed the deadline. However, the record describes a money-laundering probe, with AP and WSJ also citing corruption-linked inquiries, and Bolsonaro has not been charged. Bolsonaro himself framed the order as intimidation and linked it to his brother's remarks, not to the investigations, so the claim's attribution is only partly supported. The claim also departs slightly from the passage, which says Bolsonaro claims the passport was confiscated 'based on criminal investigations into his corruption' without naming any further detail. As of 2026-10-27 the order had been issued and the passports were being cancelled, and later reporting shows he left for the US.8 sources →

   ▶ 1:25

8. 8TrueThe student list won the parliamentary elections in Serbia.The Student List won Serbia's October 25, 2026 parliamentary election, according to Reuters, AP, NPR, the Republic Electoral Commission, and others. Vucic conceded defeat on election night. The post's 'important election' refers to this parliamentary race, so the extraction is faithful.8 sources →

   ▶ 2:06

9. 9TrueThe Trump administration filed a felony complaint against former FBI Director James Comey on October 5, 2026.Multiple reliable sources, including Reuters, NBC, Vox and Courthouse News, report that the Justice Department filed felony charges against Comey on October 5, 2026, under seal, and that the charges are Espionage Act counts tied to his alleged October 5, 2016 disclosure. The post calls the filing a 'felony complaint,' while sources variously call it a criminal information or complaint; the record supports the core assertion, and the year comes from the posting date. One unrated source (Freep) gives October 6 as the filing date, which is a minor conflict.6 sources →

   ▶ 4:20

10. 10TrueThe Department of Justice filed a criminal complaint against James Comey on October 5, 2026.Multiple sources, including Reuters, NPR, NBC, Vox, CNBC and the CourtListener docket, report that the DOJ filed charging papers against Comey on October 5, 2026, sealed until October 26. Some sources (Courthouse News) call the document a criminal complaint, while most and the DOJ itself call it a criminal information, and UPI says there was no formal complaint; the post itself treats the two as the same thing, so this is a label dispute rather than a contradiction of the date or the filing.8 sources →

    ▶ 4:30

11. 11MixedThe criminal complaint against James Comey alleges a leak of classified information occurred on October 5, 2016.The sources support the core allegation that Comey leaked classified information to a New York Times reporter in October 2016, with the article dated Oct. 5, 2016 and the alleged transmission around Oct. 4-5. However, the charging document is a 'criminal information,' not a 'criminal complaint'; CBS states he was 'not indicted by a grand jury or charged by criminal complaint.' The claim also departs from the post's own usage, which called it a 'felony complaint'.5 sources →

    ▶ 4:41

12. 12TrueMaureen Comey won a court case against the Trump administration regarding her termination.Multiple tier1 sources (Reuters, AP, BBC, Courthouse News, lohud) report that Judge Jesse Furman ruled on October 26, 2026 that the Trump administration's firing of Maurene Comey was unlawful and ordered her reinstatement with back pay, which constitutes winning her lawsuit against the administration over her termination. The DOJ said it disagrees and will appeal, but the ruling stands as reported; the claim's wording matches the passage and the sources.6 sources →

    ▶ 5:41

13. 13TrueA court ordered the reinstatement and retroactive back pay for Maureen Comey following her termination.Multiple tier-1 and tier-2 outlets report that Judge Jesse Furman ordered retroactive reinstatement and back pay for Maurene Comey (the post spells it 'Maureen') after finding her July 2025 firing unlawful. The DOJ says it will appeal, and Comey has since taken a private-sector job, so the reinstatement is retroactive only.6 sources →

    ▶ 5:52

14. 14OpinionThe Trump regime is a failing, authoritarian regime that is repugnant and cognitively rotting.A judgement, not a statement of fact. It has no true or false answer.

    ▶ 6:51

15. 15TrueDonald Trump is campaigning in Mississippi, Texas, Iowa, Ohio, Florida, Montana, and Kansas in the final week before the midterm elections.Sources on Trump's schedule in the final week before the November 2026 midterms show him campaigning in Mississippi (Corinth, Oct 26), Texas (Oct 27), Florida (Daytona Beach, Oct 30), and Ohio and Iowa/Kansas as next stops, with Iowa and Kansas rallies planned, canceled, and then reinstated. The only element without Trump-specific support is Montana, where a source mentions only Vance campaigning, so the claim's Montana item is unconfirmed rather than contradicted.8 sources →

    ▶ 7:00

16. 16Can’t tellElon Musk and X applied an adult content warning to posts featuring the cover of the book 'WTF America?!: The Way Out of This Hell and Back to Democracy'.The only source that mentions the book being hidden behind an adult content warning is the claimant's own publisher's newsletter, which is not independent corroboration. No independent source covers the book warning, and none contradicts it, so the claim cannot be graded.6 sources →

    ▶ 9:44

17. 17TrueMeta removed the 'No Kings' Instagram account.Multiple sources confirm Meta took the No Kings Instagram account offline on October 17, 2026, and Meta apologized, calling it an automated error. The sources describe a temporary suspension of about 90 minutes to over four hours rather than a permanent removal, which the claim's wording omits; the post itself says 'took down,' which the sources support.6 sources →

    ▶ 10:40

18. 18TrueDonald Trump has made tens of millions of dollars from stocks in oil and gas companies.A Democratic minority report from the Congressional Joint Economic Committee, based on Trump's OGE financial filings and reported by CBS, Morningstar and others, estimates his oil and gas stock wealth grew by as much as $35.8 million in 2026 and is now worth up to $81.6 million, which supports 'tens of millions.' The figures are upper-bound estimates, the gains are largely unrealized market increases rather than realized profits, and the White House says the portfolio is managed independently, but no source contradicts the core claim as of 2026-10-27.5 sources →

    ▶ 14:42

19. 19FalseDonald Trump has the worst approval rating in presidential history.The claim that Trump has the worst approval rating in presidential history is contradicted by the sources: Harry Truman's 22% Gallup rating (1952) is the lowest ever recorded, and Nixon's 24% final rating is lower than Trump's roughly 34-36% readings. Trump's latest figures (about 35% in AP's October 2026 polling) are low, and the sources say so, but they do not make him the worst in history.6 sources →

    ▶ 16:29

20. 20MixedThe United States economy currently has 3% to 4% growth.The claim's 3% to 4% range matches the Q3 2026 advance GDP estimate of 3.4% annualized, but that figure was released October 29, two days after the October 27 posting. The latest official GDP reading available on October 27 was Q2's 2.2%, so the claim is only partly supported as of its date. The claim departs little from the passage's 'three or 4%' wording, and the post's 'right now' is the only referent resolved.9 sources →

    ▶ 17:23

21. 21TrueJD Vance stated that gas prices skyrocketed in 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine.The sources support the core assertion that gasoline prices rose sharply after Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and multiple outlets confirm Vance made this statement at the Belgrade, Montana rally. The claim's 'far higher then than today' comparison is only partly checkable: Bridge Michigan reports a record $5.22 per gallon in June 2022 versus $3.87 in March 2026, which is consistent with it for that state.8 sources →

    ▶ 17:44

22. 22Can’t tellJD Vance stated that the United States saw the highest inflation in 50 years in 2022.Multiple sources confirm Vance said at the Belgrade, MT rally that the Biden-era inflation was "the highest inflation that we saw in 50 years in our country," but the claim's added timing ("in 2022") does not appear in that statement. The "2022" reference in the passage attaches to the gas-price remark, so the claim departs from the passage and cannot be graded as the poster's statement.4 sources →

    ▶ 18:15

23. 23Can’t tellEarly voting numbers for the Trump-Vance administration are horrific.The claim's core is an evaluative judgment ('horrific') rather than a checkable fact. The sources show record overall early voting and a Democratic share advantage, with Republican early turnout roughly similar to 2022 in some data, but none of them grades the numbers as 'horrific' for the Trump-Vance administration.7 sources →

    ▶ 20:53

24. 24TrueThe Trump-Vance administration is campaigning in ruby red areas.Multiple sources show that Trump and Vance were campaigning in heavily Republican, 'ruby red' areas in the weeks before the November 3, 2026 midterms, including Oklahoma, Texas, Mississippi, and Florida. Nothing in the sources contradicts the claim as of 2026-10-27. The claim is a faithful paraphrase of the post's point about red-area campaigning.7 sources →

    ▶ 22:52

25. 25Can’t tellThe Trump-Vance administration's policies benefit the 0.01% at Mar-a-Lago.The claim is a sweeping political characterization that the sources do not test directly: none measures whether administration policies benefit the top 0.01% or Mar-a-Lago members as a group. The closest material is a single offshore-wind settlement tied to a Mar-a-Lago-connected donor, where the report itself says the causal link to corruption cannot be established, and a tax law that gives larger percentage cuts to higher earners, which does not isolate the 0.01%.4 sources →

    ▶ 24:17

26. 26PredictionUnited States midterm elections are scheduled to occur in one week.Can't be checked yet. We check it after Nov 3, 2026.

    ▶ 24:51

27. 27TrueMaria Carolina Machado returned to Caracas, Venezuela.Multiple reliable sources report that Machado returned to Venezuela on October 25, 2026, and travelled by road to Caracas, where she was greeted by supporters on arrival. The claim's name variant ('Carolina' for 'Corina') is the post's own wording and refers to the same person, so it does not change the claim.4 sources →

    ▶ 25:33

28. 28TrueIncogni removes personal information from over 420 data broker sites.Multiple sources, including a Business Insider review citing a Deloitte audit, PCMag, and a CNBC guide, report that Incogni automatically removes data from over 420 data broker sites, consistent with the claim as of 2026-10-27. The post names the service "Incognito," which refers to the same Incogni service, and the claim's dropped words "automatically" and "harmful" are faithful paraphrase.7 sources →

    ▶ 26:58

29. 29TrueClinical trials of Wegovy showed people lost an average of 14% of their body weight at 64 weeks.The 64-week figure of about 14% average weight loss is supported by multiple sources, but it applies to the oral Wegovy pill (OASIS 4 trial), not the injectable pen, which was studied over 68 weeks at about 14.9–15%. The claim's wording is a faithful, if loosely phrased, version of the post's sentence; the dropped 'alongside diet and exercise' qualifier does not change the verdict.8 sources →

    ▶ 28:14

30. 30MixedRoger Ailes wrote a memo in 1970 about creating Republican psychological operations.The 1970 memo, 'A Plan for Putting the GOP on TV News,' is well documented, and Ailes annotated it and reportedly endorsed it, but sources do not establish that he wrote it: they say the authors are anonymous or attribute it to someone else, so 'wrote' is contested. The memo is also about putting Republican material on TV news, not explicitly about 'psychological operations,' which is the post's characterization.7 sources →

    ▶ 32:16

31. 31TrueDonald Trump renovated the East Wing to create a golden ballroom.Multiple reliable sources confirm that Trump had the East Wing demolished to make way for a gilded, golden-styled ballroom, which is the claim's core. The claim says "renovated" where the post says "tore down"; the sources describe demolition, though the administration and some outlets frame the overall project as a renovation.7 sources →

    ▶ 32:45

32. 32TrueBob Dole's 1996 convention speech included statements about being inclusive and respecting immigrants.Dole's August 1996 Republican National Convention acceptance speech, as transcribed by Speakola, calls the Republican Party 'broad and inclusive' and says a family from Mexico arriving legally has as much right to the American Dream as the descendants of the Founding Fathers, which supports the claim. The LA Times notes immigration got only a brief mention in that speech, a point of context rather than a contradiction.3 sources →

    ▶ 34:53

33. 33TrueElon Musk spent tens of billions of dollars to purchase X.Sources consistently report that Musk bought Twitter, later renamed X, for about $44 billion in 2022, which fits 'tens of billions' to purchase X. The post's purpose clause ('so that he could control the algorithms') is dropped in the claim, a faithful-enough extraction, and the 2025 all-stock sale of X to xAI at $33 billion does not undermine the original purchase.7 sources →

    ▶ 36:42

34. 34MixedJason Miller is a Trump advisor who has released statements from Jair Bolsonaro.Sources support that Jason Miller is a Trump adviser and that he posted Flávio Bolsonaro's statements on X (Rio Times, Oct 2026). No source says Miller released statements from Jair Bolsonaro, so the claim's specific identification of Jair departs from the sources and from the passage's ambiguous 'Bolsonaro' reference, which the sources tie to Flávio. The claim is also a February 2026 extraction, so the 'Trump advisor' role is confirmed for the claim's date.5 sources →

    ▶ 39:07

35. 35TrueElon Musk purchased Twitter for $44 billion.Multiple sources confirm that Elon Musk bought Twitter for roughly $44 billion ($54.20 per share), agreed in April 2022 and closed in October 2022. The extracted claim is a faithful statement of the post's factual premise; the post's opinions about his motives are not part of the graded claim.4 sources →

    ▶ 40:22

36. 36MixedElon Musk funded the acquisition of Twitter by raising debt from foreign sources including Saudi Arabia, big banks, and other big tech figures.The sources confirm Musk financed the all-cash Twitter takeover with a $13 billion bank debt package (Bank of America, Barclays, BNP Paribas, Mizuho, Morgan Stanley, MUFG, Societe Generale) and foreign-linked equity including Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal ($1.89 billion) and Qatar, but the claim's 'debt from foreign sources' framing is contradicted: the debt came mainly from US banks, with the Saudi and Qatari money largely equity, and the claimed 'other big tech people' debt is not supported as described. The post's 'debt from foreign sources' reading conflates equity co-investors with lenders, so the claim is partly right and partly wrong.9 sources →

    ▶ 41:26

37. 37TrueSpaceX receives a significant portion of its funding from government contracts.SpaceX's own S-1 disclosure, as reported by multiple outlets, puts U.S. government customers at about 20.9% of 2025 revenue, which supports calling this a significant portion. A quarterly figure of about 4% and Musk's projection of under 5% for Q4 2026 point to a lower recent share, but they do not contradict the annual picture.4 sources →

    ▶ 41:44

38. 38TrueSpaceX has combined X into its operations and is listed on Nasdaq exchanges.The extracted claim holds on the sources: SpaceX completed an all-stock combination with xAI, which includes the X platform, in February 2026, and SpaceX has been listed on Nasdaq (SPCX) since June 12, 2026, still listed as of the October 27 stock page. The post's further assertion that Nasdaq changed its rules to force SpaceX and X onto all Nasdaq exchanges is not addressed by any source and is not part of the extracted claim, so it is not graded here.9 sources →

    ▶ 41:51

39. 39MixedElon Musk throttled Ukraine's use of Starlink and Starshield following Russia's invasion.Sources support that Musk's SpaceX throttled Ukraine's Starlink service in October 2026, years after Russia's invasion, and that Musk later admitted being behind the restriction. However, the sources contradict the claim's inclusion of Starshield: BBC reports Musk denied responsibility for the Starshield issue, and Reuters reports neither Musk nor the US government took responsibility for the Starshield curbs. The extraction faithfully reflects the post's wording.8 sources →

    ▶ 42:53

40. 40MixedThe Brazilian stock market crashed by 30% after Lula won the election.The claimed 30% crash matches only the intraday low: Chosun and Financial Express report the Ibovespa at one point down nearly 30%, but the index closed down 13.88% on October 26, 2026, and other reports cite intraday drops of 10% to 17%. The claim is supported on direction and on the intraday peak, but contradicted on the closing move, so the figure depends on the measure used.9 sources →

    ▶ 43:53

41. 41TrueThe Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, known as McCain-Feingold, was a bipartisan bill that regulated campaign finance.The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (McCain-Feingold) is confirmed by multiple primary and tier1 sources as a bipartisan federal law, sponsored by Republican John McCain and Democrat Russ Feingold, that regulated campaign finance, including soft money and electioneering communications. The claim faithfully paraphrases the post's reference to a bipartisan bill by McCain and Feingold, with no added scope.6 sources →

    ▶ 44:40

42. 42TrueThe Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United established that corporations are people and have the right to spend unlimited money on political speech.The sources support the core of the claim: Citizens United held that corporations have First Amendment rights to make unlimited independent political expenditures, and the Court gave corporations the same speech rights as natural persons. The literal phrase "corporations are people" is a critics' characterization rather than the Court's wording, and the ruling concerns independent spending, not all campaign money.6 sources →

    ▶ 44:50

43. 43FalseScott Bessent's investment fund experienced 90% redemptions in its first year.The 90% decline is real but it was cumulative, not a first-year event: Key Square's main fund returned about 13% in its inaugural year (2016), and assets fell roughly 90% from a ~$5 billion peak to $577 million by 2023. The claim that the fund lost 90% of its investors in its first year is contradicted by the sources; the post's 'first year' framing departs from the record. Investor counts did fall sharply (180 to 20), so the 90% figure fits the fund's whole history, not its first year.6 sources →

    ▶ 46:13

44. 44FalseThe Trump administration bused immigrants from Texas to Martha's Vineyard.The sources attribute the Martha's Vineyard migrant flights to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's busing operation separate from them, not to the Trump administration. The Hill reports that Stephen Miller floated a similar federal strategy, but it fizzled over legal concerns, so no federal Trump administration busing occurred. The extracted claim matches the post's wording, which attributes the act to the 'Trump regime,' so the error is in the claim itself.8 sources →

    ▶ 47:14

45. 45TrueGadi Eisenkott is the main competition to Benjamin Netanyahu for the position of Prime Minister of Israel.As of 2026-10-27, multiple tier1 sources (Reuters, AP, BBC, and CNN) describe Gadi Eisenkot as Netanyahu's main rival or challenger for the premiership, so the claim holds on that date. The claim spells the name 'Eisenkott,' a minor variant of 'Eisenkot,' and it omits the post's remark that he was 'likely going to become the next prime minister,' which is a dropped qualifier rather than an addition.4 sources →

    ▶ 47:59

46. 46FalseWillie’s Home Remedy THC infused beverage contains 15 calories and 3 g of sugar per bottle.The 15 calories and 3 g of sugar figures apply to one 1.5 oz serving of the high-dose (10 mg) bottle, not to the whole bottle. A 750 ml bottle holds about 17 servings, so the per-bottle claim is off by roughly 17 times, and the low-dose bottle is listed at 10 calories and 2 g sugar per serving. The post's 'each bottle' wording departs from the product's serving-based labeling, though the product name in the claim ('Home Remedy') is a minor variant of 'Willie's Remedy'.4 sources →

    ▶ 49:30

47. 47MixedWillie's is the number one THC infused beverage in the U.S., with over 300,000 happy customers and over 1 million bottles sold.The 'over 1 million bottles sold' figure is supported by a June 2026 report (over 1 million 750ml bottles across 15 states) and the brand's own site, so the bottle count holds. The 'number one THC beverage in the U.S.' claim is supported only as the company's self-described No. 1 online brand, based on confidential data, and a Nielsen-based No. 1 national ranking appears only in an article published after the claim date. The '300,000 happy customers' figure is not addressed; sources report bottles sold, not customers. Checked as of 2026-10-27, the claim's national No. 1 framing is not independently established.7 sources →

    ▶ 49:43

48. 48TrueWillie’s Home Remedy is the number one THC infused beverage in the U.S. by sales volume.Sources support the claim that Willie's Remedy is the top-selling THC beverage by sales. Hoodie Analytics ranks it #1 by tracked sales, and Inc. cites Nielsen data placing it first among category brands, though the evidence is thin and partly company-sourced. The claim's "Home Remedy" is a misnaming of Willie's Remedy, and the "by sales volume" qualifier matches how the sources rank it.5 sources →

    ▶ 49:43

49. 49Can’t tellWillie’s Home Remedy has sold over 1 million bottles.The only source giving a 1 million bottle figure is the brand's own marketing (website and product page), which the rules treat as circular, so it cannot corroborate the claim. Independent-leaning records (a federal court order, trade and news coverage) report the brand's own claims of 250,000 bottles in late 2025 and more than 400,000 in February 2026, and an October 2026 article still cites 400,000, but none directly refutes a 1 million figure as of 2026-10-27. The extraction also calls the product 'Willie's Home Remedy' where the sources say 'Willie's Remedy+', and the post itself says 'Willies', so the referent is treated as the same brand.10 sources →

    ▶ 49:43

50. 50MixedQuince 100% Mongolian cashmere sweaters are priced starting at $60.The Quince product page shows its 100% Mongolian cashmere sweaters are sold and cheaply priced, but it lists the entry price at $50 (and at least one item at $44.90), not the $60 starting price the claim states. The claim's $60 figure is contradicted by the record, though the magnitude is close and the page is a retailer listing rather than an independent check.1 source →

    ▶ 50:42

51. 51MixedQuince products are priced 50-80% less than similar brands.Independent comparisons show Quince prices often 50-80% below comparable brands, with examples like $29.90 vs $160 and $50 vs $128-$158, but not uniformly: some comparisons fall below 50% (Naadam $98 vs Quince $50), and the 'everything' scope is not established. Williams-Sonoma's lawsuit challenges Quince's 'half the price' and 'Beyond Compare' savings claims, though it is an unadjudicated allegation, and the post is a sponsored ad.7 sources →

    ▶ 51:02

52. 52MixedTreasury Secretary Scott Bessent managed a $4 billion fund that experienced 90% redemptions.Sources support that Bessent ran Key Square, a fund raised at about $4.5 billion with a peak near $5 billion, and that its assets fell about 90% to roughly $577 million. They attribute that decline to losses and, in one source, to losses plus redemptions, so the claim's '90% redemptions' framing overstates the redemption share. The claim also departs slightly from the passage's wording of '$4 billion', which is close to the sourced $4.5 billion.5 sources →

    ▶ 52:25

53. 53TrueTreasury Secretary Scott Bessent advised the Iranian people to stock up on heating fuel due to an impending heating fuel shortage.Iran International's interview report quotes Bessent telling Iranians to start stocking up on heating fuel because there will be a big heating fuel shortage, and IBTimes repeats the same quote. The sources come from lower-credibility outlets, and the record is consistent with the claim as of 2026-10-27, so I grade it true with moderate confidence.2 sources →

    ▶ 55:03

54. 54TrueTreasury Secretary Scott Bessent advised the Iranian people not to pay their taxes.Bessent's own words, quoted in Iran International interview coverage published 2026-10-26 and 2026-10-27, state "My advice to the Iranian people would be: don't pay your taxes because you're not going to get anything back from the government." The claim faithfully matches the post's passage and the sources show it was said as of 2026-10-27, though all corroboration traces to one outlet, Iran International.4 sources →

    ▶ 55:35

55. 55TrueSaudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan met to discuss regional security.AP and Reuters both report that high-level delegations from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan met Iranian officials in Tehran on October 26, 2026, to de-escalate regional tensions and discuss regional security. The claim omits that Iran was also a party and that the meeting was in Tehran, but those omissions do not change the core assertion.3 sources →

    ▶ 59:30

56. 56FalseThe United States has exhausted its supply of interceptors.The claim that the US has exhausted its interceptor supply is contradicted by sources reporting that it has used roughly half to two-thirds of its Patriot and most of its THAAD stock, not all of it, and that a substantial remainder is still held. The post's 'out of weapons' rhetoric overstates a severe depletion as total exhaustion, and as of 2026-10-27 the sources do not show an empty stockpile.9 sources →

    ▶ 59:45

57. 57Can’t tellThe Trump administration used 20 years' worth of interceptors in a 48-hour to 3-day period.No source reports that the U.S. used 20 years' worth of interceptors in 48 hours to 3 days. Sources document heavy interceptor depletion over months of the Iran war, with DOD not publishing precise expenditure figures, so the specific magnitude claim is not checkable and reads as rhetorical hyperbole in the podcast.5 sources →

    ▶ 59:50

58. 58MixedUS military bases in the region have been obliterated by Iran.Iran's strikes did damage US bases in the region, and AP's satellite-based analysis documents damage or destruction of structures at 26 bases and other sites. The sources do not support the stronger claim that the bases were obliterated, since the AP findings describe partial damage and the 'obliterated' wording comes from an Iranian official with an interest in the claim. The post's own framing was 'all' US bases obliterated, which the extraction dropped, and the sources do not support that either.8 sources →

    ▶ 1:00:22

59. 59TrueRussian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Iran.Multiple independent outlets, including AP, Al Jazeera, RFE/RL, and Times of Israel, plus Iran's foreign ministry, confirm that Lavrov met Araghchi in Tehran on October 19, 2026. The post's garbled name 'Iranji' refers to the Iranian foreign minister, which the extraction correctly resolved to Araghchi.7 sources →

    ▶ 1:00:55

60. 60TrueThe cost to transport oil via crude carriers is $1.5 million per day due to risk premiums.Sources from October 22-23, 2026 put daily VLCC charter rates for Gulf and Hormuz routes at about $1.4 million, with one Hormuz-passage quote of $1 million to $1.5 million, so the claimed $1.5 million per day is at the upper end of reported figures. Sources also tie the freight surge to war-risk and security premiums, which supports the causal link, and the figure is consistent with the claim's October 27 timeframe. The extraction matches the passage and the claim is graded as stated.6 sources →

    ▶ 1:01:57

61. 61MixedThe risk premium for crude carriers adds $33 to the cost of each barrel of oil.Sources support a figure of about $33 per barrel for freight costs on very large crude carrier routes out of the Gulf, based on Poten data, as of early October and again near $35 in late October. However, that $33 is total freight cost driven by several factors, while Goldman puts the war-risk premium component at only about $7 per barrel, so the claim wrongly attributes the whole $33 to the risk premium. The post's $1.5 million per day figure differs from the $1.3 million reported, but the claim itself uses the $33 figure.4 sources →

    ▶ 1:02:07

62. 62TrueDonald Trump stated that the Brazilian election looked like a rigged election.Multiple tier-1 outlets (Reuters, AP, The Hill, Politico) directly quote Trump on Monday, October 26, 2026, saying the Brazilian election "looked like another rigged election" and that it looked bad, though he offered no evidence and said he did not take sides. The claim is faithfully extracted from the passage and is accurate as of the posting date.7 sources →

    ▶ 1:05:51

63. 63TrueLula won the Brazilian election by over 4 million votes.Multiple independent tier1 and tier2 sources (AP, BBC, NYT, Brazil's electoral court figures) report Lula won the runoff by about 4.4 million votes, so the claim that he won by over 4 million votes is supported. The claim's wording matches the passage ('Lula in Brazil won by over 4 million votes') and the 2026 election referenced in the post.5 sources →

    ▶ 1:06:23

64. 64TrueLuiz Inácio Lula da Silva is 80 years old.Lula was 80 years old on the claim's date of 2026-10-03, as AP (published 2026-10-05), Reuters (2026-07-31) and WSJ (2026-10-04) all state, and Britannica's birth date of October 27, 1945 is consistent with that. He turned 81 on October 27, 2026, a later change that does not affect the verdict. The extracted claim faithfully matches the passage's wording.7 sources →

    ▶ 1:07:04

65. 65TrueFernando Cerimedo is an Argentinian political consultant who worked with Javier Milei.Multiple sources describe Fernando Cerimedo as an Argentine political consultant who worked on Javier Milei's 2023 campaign, and Reuters and AP both place him as a Milei campaign strategist. The post says "Javier Malé", which is evidently a misspelling of Milei, so the extraction is faithful. A spokesperson's statement that Milei has had no relationship with Cerimedo since 2023 disputes a current link, not the past working relationship the claim describes.5 sources →

    ▶ 1:13:26

66. 66TrueFernando Cerimedo is currently imprisoned.Sources show Cerimedo was arrested on 18 August 2026 and placed in pretrial detention, then moved to the maximum-security Chonchocoro prison on 8 September, and later reporting from early and mid-October still describes him as jailed, so he was imprisoned on 2026-10-27. The post spells his name 'Ceramido'; the sources spell it 'Cerimedo' for the same person.8 sources →

    ▶ 1:13:34

67. 67TrueZelensky has ordered strikes on Russian data centers like Yandex.Multiple tier1 sources report that Ukraine struck Yandex data centers in Ryazan and Kaluga in October 2026, and Zelensky publicly confirmed the Kaluga strike on X and said Ukraine 'responded' to Russian attacks on Ukrainian data centers. No source contradicts Zelensky directing the strikes, though none uses the word 'ordered' explicitly, so the claim rests partly on the inference that a head of state commands such operations. The claim is a faithful paraphrase of the post's 'Zelensky's been striking the Russian data centers, like Yandex.'5 sources →

    ▶ 1:13:42

68. 68TrueGadi Eisenkot is a former IDF chief of staff.Multiple tier1 and tier2 sources (AP, Reuters, CNN, IDF official biography) confirm Gadi Eisenkot served as Israel Defense Forces chief of staff from 2015 to 2019 and is now a former chief of staff, which matches the extracted claim and the passage's 'IDF former chief of staff' wording.5 sources →

    ▶ 1:14:03

69. 69TrueMaria Corina Machado has returned to Venezuela.Multiple tier1 sources (Reuters, AP, BBC) report that María Corina Machado returned to Venezuela on Sunday, October 25, 2026, after nearly a year in exile, appearing in Lara state and traveling to Caracas. The claim matches the post's headline, which the extraction faithfully reflects; the post itself is dated October 26, so 'returned' refers to the October 25 return.7 sources →

    ▶ 1:14:36

70. 70TrueMaria Corina Machado returned to Venezuela through Colombia.Multiple independent tier1 and tier2 sources (NYT, Washington Post, Il Foglio citing ABC) report that Machado re-entered Venezuela from neighboring Colombia, with the NYT citing government officials and the WaPo citing people briefed on her return. The claim matches the core of the post, and no source contradicts the Colombia route; the post's Rubio and State Department ignorance details are not graded here.4 sources →

    ▶ 1:14:36

71. 71TrueThe Trump administration filed a criminal complaint against James Comey in Washington, DC federal court.Multiple tier-1 sources (Reuters, BBC, NBC, Washington Post) report that the Justice Department filed a criminal charging document against James Comey in Washington federal court, unsealed October 26, 2026. The post and claim call it a 'criminal complaint,' while most outlets call it a 'criminal information,' a distinct charging document that does not require a grand jury; Courthouse News also uses 'complaint,' so the label difference does not change the core assertion.7 sources →

    ▶ 1:15:26

72. 72TrueA federal judge in New York ruled that Maureen Comey's termination by the Trump administration was unlawful.Multiple tier1 sources (AP, Reuters, BBC) and a court order report that Judge Jesse Furman of the Southern District of New York ruled Maurene Comey's July 2025 firing by the Trump administration/DOJ unlawful. The claim's core assertion is supported; the claim's 'completely frivolous' phrasing from the post is not repeated in the extraction and is not graded.8 sources →

    ▶ 1:16:03

73. 73TrueThe criminal complaint against James Comey alleges he leaked classified information regarding Yahoo security features on October 5, 2016.Multiple reliable sources, including Reuters, Politico and ABC News, report that the Justice Department's unsealed charging document accuses Comey of leaking classified national defense information tied to a New York Times article published October 5, 2016, about Yahoo adapting its spam filter for FBI surveillance requests. The main imprecision is the document type: the sources call it a 'criminal information' filed without a grand jury indictment, not a 'criminal complaint', but the claim's core allegation matches the record.5 sources →

    ▶ 1:16:31

74. 74FalseThe book titled WTF America?!: The Way Out of This Hell and Back to Democracy was released on October 27, 2026.The publisher (Hachette) and multiple retailer and press listings give the book's on-sale and publication date as October 20, 2026, not October 27, so the specific release date in the claim is contradicted. The book was indeed available by the October 27 episode, but the claim's central point is the release date.Minor detail. The sources confirm the claim; only a minor detail differs, such as a name's spelling, a title's wording or a rounding.8 sources →

    ▶ 1:20:23

75. 75TrueIran hosted the defense minister of Saudi Arabia, the leader of Pakistan, and the Turkish top intelligence officer in Tehran.AP and Reuters both report that Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin met Iranian officials in Tehran on October 26, 2026, in talks hosted by Iran. The claim's "leader of Pakistan" is a loose label for Munir, who is army chief, but the post itself used that wording and the core assertion holds.5 sources →

    ▶ 2:12

76. 76Can’t tellElon Musk is suppressing pro-Lula content on X in Brazil.The sources do not show Musk or X suppressing pro-Lula content in 2026. The 2026 dispute over suppression of pro-Lula content centers on Meta, with X only asked by Brazil's electoral court to explain its content practices, and the 2024 coverage concerns the X ban and Lula's feud with Musk. No source authoritatively confirms or rejects this specific claim as of 2026-10-27, and the post's wording is a passing remark.8 sources →

    ▶ 36:33

77. 77MixedTreasury Secretary Scott Bessent lived in a $22 million estate in Charleston, South Carolina, that was a replica of Barbie's Malibu mansion.Sources support that Bessent lived in a pink mansion in Charleston and that the house was listed at $22.25 million, but the listing price is not a sale value: the house sold for about $18.25 million in March 2025. No source describes the house as a replica of Barbie's Malibu mansion; sources describe it as a historic 1840s-era John Ravenel house, which contradicts the replica framing.6 sources →

    ▶ 46:21

78. 78Can’t tellThe Trump and Netanyahu regimes killed the Ayatollah, his daughter, his son-in-law, and his 3-year-old grandchild at their house.The sources confirm that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the US-Israeli strike on Feb. 28, 2026, at his official residence. None of the sources mention his daughter, son-in-law, or 3-year-old grandchild being killed, so that part of the claim is neither supported nor contradicted.6 sources →

    ▶ 1:02:42

79. 79Can’t tellIDF Chief of Staff Yel Zemir has demanded that orders from Benjamin Netanyahu be provided in writing.The claim that IDF chief Eyal Zamir (spelled 'Yel Zemir' in the post) demanded written orders from Netanyahu rests on a single Channel 12 report citing anonymous sources, repeated by other outlets. Netanyahu called the report 'nonsense' and denied any clash, and the IDF neither confirmed nor denied it, so the sources neither substantiate nor authoritatively dismiss the claim as of 2026-10-27.10 sources →

    ▶ 1:03:24

80. 80TrueAlexander Vucic conceded the election in Serbia to the student list group.Multiple independent tier1 outlets (AP, Reuters, BBC) report that Vucic conceded defeat on October 25, 2026 to the student-led movement, which ran as the Student List. The extracted claim matches the passage's 'Vucic conceded right away. He lost to the student list.'7 sources →

    ▶ 1:07:56

81. 81TrueA member of Congress supporting Lula created a WhatsApp group called Lula's Army that grew from 50,000 members to 10 million members.Congressman André Janones, a Lula ally, created the WhatsApp channel 'Lula's Army' (the Portuguese name is 'Exército do Lula'), and sources report it grew from about 50,000 members before the first round to over 10 million by the runoff, with AP and BBC citing 10.8 million. Minor points: the sources describe a WhatsApp 'channel' rather than a 'group', and the Boston Globe says Janones renamed an existing channel rather than creating it, while Wikipedia and CNN say he created it.8 sources →

    ▶ 1:09:55

82. 82TrueFernando Cerimedo is alleged to have attempted to kill his partner in Bolivia.The claim is a hedged allegation, and multiple independent reliable sources confirm that Argentine consultant Fernando Cerimedo was charged in Bolivia with attempted femicide for allegedly ordering the shooting of his former partner, lawyer Nadia Beller. The passage's wording ("girlfriend", "partner") matches the sources' "former romantic partner", so the extraction is faithful, and Cerimedo denies involvement.8 sources →

    ▶ 1:12:53

83. 83TrueMaureen Comey won a federal civil case against the Trump administration for reinstatement and back pay.Multiple tier-1 outlets (AP, Reuters, BBC, NYT, CBS) report that Judge Jesse Furman ruled on October 26, 2026 that the Trump administration unlawfully fired Maurene Comey and ordered retroactive reinstatement and back pay, so the claim holds. The reinstatement is retroactive and the DOJ says it will appeal, which the claim does not address.7 sources →

    ▶ 1:15:53

2 more checked claims in this post are not published.

How it persuades

• ExaggerationFigurative inflation carries the claimthe whole body becomes the virus, it becomes a zombified thingthe whole body is sick and decrepitthese awful demonsoligarchs can feast on your flesh

What it’s built on

• Hidden knowledge · awakeningA suppressed truth only the awake can seeThis is their psyop, folks. They want to distract you. This is all part of their plan.This is a coordinated effort. None of it is random. It's all interconnected
• Whataboutism · opposing partyAnswers a criticism by pointing at someone elseHe's in good old Mississippi this evening, as the Mega Republicans are terrified of losing in what was once considered ruby red Mississippi.state regime media, which calls itself Fox, is not Donald Trump's involvement in the Epstein files
• Conspiracy · globalist eliteSecret coordination by powerful actorsthe Whole mega network of the Elon Musks and the Jason Millers and the Bannons are attacking Brazil alreadythe true globalists, are the MAGA Republican globalist network of authoritarians across all these different countriesthis is an international network to figure out how you pit one American against another American
• DistrustDistrusts the government as a wholestate regime mediathe Trump regimethe Trump vance regimethe Netanyahu regimecorporate news

Sources

Related posts

• The Headlines · Oct 26, 2026Plus, can a three-hour documentary lead the box office? Here’s what we’re covering: Lula Wins Brazil’s Presidency, in Stunning Blow to Latin America’s Right, by Ana Ionova and Adam B. EllickTrump’s Election Attacks Enter New Pre-emptive Phase, by Zolan Kanno-YoungsMaría Corina MAlso says: Maria Corina Machado has returned to Venezuela.1 false2 mixed1 can’t tell16 true
• Bulwark Takes · Aug 21, 2026Catherine Rampell and JVL went live to cover Scott Bessent flailing as he intervenes in the bond market and Catherine's reporting on how Trump's political appointees hijacked the U.S. Census Bureau, numbers that we're supposed to trust. Plus, for more than a decade, Trump promiseAlso says: Scott Bessent is the Treasury Secretary.2 false5 mixed7 can’t tell34 true
• VINCE · Aug 18, 2026Desperate Jon Ossoff Spreads Bluesky Conspiracy Theories about Trump; A Democrat socialist in the Florida primaries; the DOJ prepares to send a record number of election monitors for the midterms; Trump weighs in on the growing Flock camera surveillance backlash. Watch VINCE LiAlso says: Quince products are priced 50-80% less than similar brands.1 false3 mixed5 can’t tell36 true
• The DSR Network · Oct 27, 2026Donald Trump is stewing about elections big time. He raged at Senator Lisa Murkowski for opposing his dumb effort to rig the Alaska Senate race, fumed over imagined voter-fraud in the upcoming midterms, and seethed that the right’s huge loss in Brazil was “rigged.” It’s no accideAlso says: Donald Trump stated that the Brazilian election looked like a rigged election.4 false3 mixed2 can’t tell12 true
• Behind the Bastards · Oct 3, 2026All of this week's episodes of It Could Happen Here put together in one large file: US Military Boat Strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific After Ceuta Were Macklemore’s First Amendment Rights Violated? What Happened in the Labor Movement Last Month? Executive Disorder: DHSAlso says: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is 80 years old.2 false27 mixed11 can’t tell166 true
• Raging Moderates with Scott Galloway and Jessica Tarlov · Oct 27, 2026Scott Galloway and Jessica Tarlov cover key elections, at home and abroad, in the leadup to the U.S. midterm elections. With Election Day one week away, both parties are bringing out their celebrity firepower. Nicki Minaj is backing Trump and MAGA candidates — and is reportedlySays something close: Lula da Silva is 81 years old.6 false10 mixed6 can’t tell34 true
• The Benny Show · Oct 26, 2026Brickhouse Nutrition: Go to https://www.takelean.com and use Code BENNY for 20% OFF Patriot Mobile: Go to https://www.PatriotMobile.com/Benny and get A FREE MONTH Download The Polymarket App To Track the Midterms. Use Code ‘Benny’ https://app.polymarket.us/S8ac/BENNY LeaSays something close: Lula da Silva won the Brazilian election with 51.1% of the vote.10 false12 mixed12 can’t tell32 true
• REAL AF with Andy Frisella · Oct 28, 2026On today's episode, Andy and DJ discuss Lula's presidential election victory over Bolsonaro amid controversy surrounding extended voting hours in Brazil, hundreds of Maine absentee ballot envelopes reportedly being shipped to a Soros-linked nonprofit in Maryland before the investSays something close: Lula won the presidential election over Bolsonaro in Brazil.19 false9 mixed18 can’t tell32 true
• The Parnas Perspective · Oct 26, 2026Aaron Parnas reports on breaking news of Trump terrified as democratic early voting surges, including an exclusive interview with Dr. Amy Acton to share updates from her campaign, her opponents latest attack, and much more! ------------------------------- Midterms are Tuesday, Says something close: A federal judge reinstated Maureen Comey in the Southern District of New York.1 false5 mixed16 true
• Louder with Crowder · Oct 5, 2026Woke is dead. Long live Woke! Woke 2.0 is here, but is it worse than original flavor? Maybe. There's a new lab leak out of Russia. A lab worker may have been exposed to the pneumonic plague. We'll tell you what that means. South and Central America have not elected a left-wing prSays something close: Flavio Bolsonaro came in first in the Brazilian presidential election and will face incumbent President Lula in a runoff.10 false6 mixed8 can’t tell26 true