Tag: Snopes News

On Oct. 3, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth delivered a speech at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Images from the speech of Hegseth with his arms spread wide in front of the Department of Defense’s eagle seal went viral, drawing comparisons to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and an official Nazi symbol. 

Snopes readers shared the images with us, asking to confirm whether such comparisons were accurate. One Facebook meme showed Hegseth in front of a simplified version of the DOD’s eagle seal without its traditional olive branch. Next to him, in a similar pose with his arms outstretched is Hitler in front of the “Reichsadler,” the eagle emblem of Nazi Germany. The accompanying caption stated: 

On Saturday, Hegseth traveled to the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs to address the cadets.

As he walked on stage, the Department of War seal was visible behind him and on the podium in front of him.

Before he began, he raised both arms out to the side and told the cadets to take their seats.

That was all it took.

Within hours, critics were posting side-by-side images comparing the staging of the speech to old photos of Adolf Hitler speaking in front of an eagle emblem.

(Facebook user “Really American”)

The image of Hegseth showed signs of artificial intelligence editing in the form of garbled letters in the seals behind and in front of him, but video footage of the Oct. 3 speech shows that the content was not meaningfully altered. The accompanying image of Hitler, however, carries signs of heavy manipulation and was likely entirely generated by AI. 

That said, there are still other authentic photographs of Hitler that show him standing in front of a Nazi eagle emblem that in some ways resembles the new DOD one. 

Given the heavy manipulation of the Hitler image, we found the claim that the image of Hegseth closely resembled a real image of Hitler unfounded.

We reached out to the DOD to ask about the reason for the redesign and whether any resemblance to the Reichsadler was intentional. Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Joel Valdez said to us over email: “The American bald eagle is an icon of our country and used on many state and federal seals, including the seal of the Department of War. If for some reason you see imagery of a bald eagle and begin having delusions about Nazi Germany, then you may need to get your head checked for serious brain damage.”

The moment where Hegseth raised his arms wide occurred in the very beginning of his speech at the 5-second mark on the official DOD YouTube video. We captured a screenshot below:

(YouTube user “Department of War”)

The image of Hegseth in the Facebook post appears to have been edited or manipulated. The color is much brighter and the “M” behind Hegseth’s right arm appears misshapen. Hegseth’s face also appears different. The image itself is similar to its original YouTube video. 

There are several indications of AI generation in the purported photograph of Hitler. Firstly, the individuals on either side of him on the bottom left and right of the frame all have incomplete facial features, with sections of their heads cut off or blurred. The flags behind him also have inconsistent patterns that show signs of heavy editing or cropping. 

Real photographs of Hitler standing in front of flag poles show that, even on draped flags, the swastikas are recognizable. The two swastikas on either side of Hitler’s head are almost perfectly round circles. Considering they are placed over what could either be rounded pillars or curtains, they are clearly overlaid or heavily edited. 

We compared the image to real photographs of speeches Hitler made, and found none that resemble the room in the image from the meme. One authentic 1939 image on Getty Images shows Hitler speaking to the Reichstag, or German parliament, with a much larger eagle symbol and the Nazi symbols farther apart. Images of Hitler speaking at Nuremberg rallies do not align with the one in the above meme. Videos show that Hitler often spoke with his arms held wide, but there are no specific videos corresponding with the image in the above meme. 

Despite the above image of Hitler being heavily manipulated, Hegseth’s backdrop still has loose similarities to other real photographs of Hitler speaking in front of an eagle emblem. 

During Hegseth’s speech, many online noted the simplified (archived) version of the DOD seal, which removed the traditional olive leaves below the eagle, made the eagle’s design more angular and replaced the 13 stars above the eagle with five stars. 

We should note that the eagle symbol was used in Germany before and after the Nazi Party came to power. The DOD has been using the eagle seal since 1949. The DOD website, which still showed the version of the seal containing the olive branch as of this writing, explains its meaning thus: “The American bald eagle, long associated with symbolism representing the United States of America and its military establishment, has been selected as an emblem of strength. In facing to the right, the field of honor is indicated.”

Hegseth has also been in the news for his Sept. 30 “State of the Force” address, in which he announced he was creating an Office of Religious Affairs at the Pentagon and initiating “Project Meridian,” which he described as “an effort led by America’s best minds to study the future of warfare.”

Snopes has frequently reported on rumors about Hegseth and the Department of Defense. 

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Claim:

A class action settlement related to deceptive Amazon Prime practices began paying out to eligible customers in fall 2026.

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Eligible Amazon Prime customers do not need to do anything to receive their payment. The FTC is also warning people that some scammers are exploiting the legitimate class action lawsuit to steal people’s personal information. The FTC said it will not call any eligible customers, nor will they demand money or promise a special prize.

Rumors are spreading online about supposed payouts from a class action lawsuit benefiting Amazon Prime subscribers. 

Social media users on platforms like Reddit and Facebook shared screenshots of notifications about the lawsuit or receiving payment (screenshotted). Some online posters claimed they received payment, whereas others asked if the settlement was real. 

Snopes readers also searched the website for information on the Amazon Prime lawsuit. 

This is a legitimate settlement involving payouts to eligible Amazon Prime customers. 

The Federal Trade Commission reached a $2.5 billion settlement with Amazon over allegations that the company “enrolled tens of millions of customers in Amazon Prime subscriptions without their knowledge or consent” and “made it difficult for customers to cancel their Amazon Prime subscriptions.” As part of the settlement, Amazon did not admit fault. 

An official notice on the Federal Trade Commission website states that Amazon began sending payments in November 2025 and “will continue to send automatic refunds to eligible Prime customers through April 2027.” 

Customers who received a previous payment of up to $51 may receive additional payments due to a revised settlement order. Eligible customers may receive up to $200 in total (so up to $149 if you received a $51 payment previously). 

It is worth noting, however, that the FTC is also warning people that scammers are calling people and claiming to be part of the Amazon class action lawsuit payouts. 

“The FTC will never demand money, make threats, tell you to transfer money, or promise you a prize. And no one from Amazon will ever ask you for money to get a refund,” the FTC website said. “Only scammers say they can get you special access or a guaranteed refund.” 

Eligibility and payment process 

According to the FTC, eligible claimants do not need to take any actions to receive a refund. Amazon will send automatic refund payments by mailed check, PayPal or Venmo, and all you need to do is accept the payment. 

Here’s how to know if you’re eligible, per the FTC’s news release (emphasis theirs): 

Who is eligible for a refund?

Under the revised settlement order, you are eligible for a refund if you meet all three requirements:

1. You are an Amazon Prime customer in the United States.
2. You signed up for an Amazon Prime subscription through a “challenged enrollment flow” or tried to cancel through the online cancellation flow but were unable to do so between June 23, 2019 and June 23, 2025.
3. You used no more than 20 Amazon Prime Benefits (including Prime Music or Prime Video products offered for free to Prime subscribers) in any 12-month period following Amazon Prime enrollment.

The “challenged enrollment flows” are universal Prime decision page, shipping selection page, single page checkout, or the Prime Video enrollment flow.

No action is needed to receive a refund. You do not have to file a claim, respond to a notice, or complete any forms. Amazon will send automatic payments to eligible customers. 

Customers who have issues receiving payments or questions can reach out to admin@SubscriptionMembershipSettlement.com or call 1-888-999-8094. The official website for notifications about this class action lawsuit is at www.SubscriptionMembershipSettlement.com, per the FTC. 

How to check if a class action lawsuit is legitimate 

In the case of the Amazon settlement, the FTC’s news release on the federal agency’s official website — with a “.gov” domain — lends it legitimacy. 

However, Snopes has previously verified class action lawsuits that are not brought by the government. In those cases, it’s worth checking the lawsuit’s case number in PACER, a public database for federal electronic court records, or CourtListener, a more user-friendly nonprofit repository that pulls information from PACER documents and other court records. 

Even if the FTC did not make an announcement, for example, the screenshots of payments shared on social media include a case number for the Amazon settlement: 2:23-cv-01372.  

Searching that case number in CourtListener returned two pages of results. On the second page, there’s a case called “In re: Amazon Return Policy Litigation.” That’s proof that a real lawsuit has been filed. The case page includes links to all the documents in the court docket for that particular case. A document titled, “Exhibit A – Amazon Settlement Agreement” states that a settlement was reached. 

Claim:

Retail stores in the U.S. are selling 3D-printed meat, as of September.

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A company called Steakholder Foods has launched a line of products under the brand name Perfecta. While the meat is 3D-printed, it is made from a formulation of plant material like other plant-based meats are. It is not made from cultured animal cells, which is often what people refer to when they mention “lab-grown meat.” It is not clear which grocery stores or retailers are selling Perfecta-branded food, though the company has said its products have reached shelves in certain Northeastern U.S retail locations.

Between September and October, social media users claimed that 3D-printed, lab-grown meat had started being sold in U.S. stores from early September.

For example, one Facebook post (archived) claims the 3D-printed meat “has federal clearance” but will not have a “lab-grown meat” label on its packaging. The post reads, in part:

The first 3D printed ‘meat’ has federal clearance and is about to be sold in the United States. 

Packaging will not say ‘lab-grown meat’ because there is not a law that requires the packaging to say it was printed. 

3D-printed plant-based food is already on shelves in the U.S.

Federal labels for cell-grown chicken and pork fat must be pre-approved and have used the words “cell-cultivated.” 

The printed food was in stores on September 3 of this year.  

The company Steakholder Foods put its Perfecta line into Northeast supermarkets.

The rumor has appeared elsewhere on Facebook (archived) and on Instagram (archived). Numerous Snopes readers also emailed us to ask if the story is true.

In short, on Sept. 3, Israeli company Steakholder Foods, which specializes in making 3D-printing technology for plant-based meats, announced the launch of its 3D-printed, plant-based meat products in Northeastern U.S. retailers under the brand name Perfecta. Therefore, the claim is true.

Steakholder Foods’ news release says its “Premium Plant-Based Meat” products were launched at retail locations in the Northeastern United States on Sept. 3, “marking the brand’s first commercial placement on U.S. store shelves.”

According to the webpage, the launch “focuses on building awareness and consumer trial throughout the Northeast U.S. market while establishing a foundation for broader expansion across additional regions.”

It is not clear which grocery stores or retailers have started selling or stocking the products.

Snopes reached out to the company via a contact form on its website for more information. We will update this article if we hear back.

According to Steakholder Foods, the company uses plant-based ingredients and cultivates cells to create what ultimately becomes the 3D-printed meat.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service do regulate “lab-grown” meat and require a label for such products. However, this regulation is specifically for food made with cultured animal cells, not for food made with other kinds of cells, which is what Perfecta products consist of.

Snopes reached out to both the FDA via contact form and the FSIS via email to confirm that there are not similar kinds of regulations for food made with other cultured cells, such as plant cells. Additionally, we asked both agencies to confirm if Perfecta products had received federal approval, as the above Facebook post states. We will update this story if we receive responses.

Based on how the product boxes appear on the website, there does not appear to be any text identifying the food as 3D-printed or made with cultured cells. The boxes do clearly identify the meat as “premium plant meat” and “plant-based.”

Manufacturers of plant-based meat products usually have to process their ingredient mixes in a way that allows them to mimic the texture of conventional meat. According to the Good Food Institute’s Asia-Pacific website, the most common processing method requires putting shear stress on the ingredients to align them into a meat-like texture. There are several other methods of processing plant-based meats, including 3D-printing.

For further reading, Snopes previously fact-checked a claim that a plant-based meat manufacturer was 3D-printing meat products in the Netherlands in 2024.

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Photos authentically show a gold-covered statue depicting a naked U.S. President Donald Trump on display at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, in early October.

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Several photos are circulating online purportedly showing a gold-covered statue depicting a naked U.S. President Donald Trump on display at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, in early October.

For example, a popular Facebook page that shared one picture of the alleged sculpture wrote (archived): 

NEWS: A 2.5-meter-tall statue depicting a naked, gold-covered Donald Trump has been unveiled inside the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

The satirical sculpture, titled “Orange Plague” and also called “King of Injustice,” shows Trump sitting on the shoulders of another man while holding an enormous golf club. It is reportedly covered in 23-karat gold.

Other photographs of the artwork are also circulating on X (archived) and Instagram (archived).

In short, the photos are authentic and the statue is real. Danish sculptor Jens Galschiøt created the piece and named it “The Orange Plague.” On Oct. 7, a spokesperson for the European Parliament’s press service confirmed via email that, as of this writing, it is on display at the parliament’s Winston Churchill building in Strasbourg, France. Galschiøt said via email that it is set be taken down on Oct. 8.

The sculpture in the pictures shared online matches the piece that can be seen in photos that Galschiøt and reputable news agency Reuters have published. The photographs spreading online also show no signs of being digitally edited or created. Therefore, those photos are authentic and do truly show a naked statue of Trump on display at the European Parliament.

Snopes contacted the White House for comment and for Trump’s take on Galschiøt’s work. We will update this article if we receive a response.

Why Galschiøt created the statue

On his website, Galschiøt describes “The Orange Plague” as “a satirical out-cry against Trump and the U.S. assault on the green transition and the rule-based world order.”

The artwork is 2.6 meters (approximately 8 feet, 5 inches) tall, made of copper and covered in 23 carat leaf gold, according to the sculptor. Danish author Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Emporer’s New Clothes” tale — in which an emperor parades naked in front of his subjects because he believes he is wearing the finest clothes — inspired Galschiøt to depict Trump as naked. 

“The illusion — sustained by fear and flattery — endures until a child cries out, ‘He’s not wearing any clothes’ — and the emperor becomes a figure of ridicule,” Galschiøt’s website says. The page adds that the gold on the sculpture also plays on this illusion, “Like Andersen’s emperor, he [Trump] believes the gold makes him great. It merely makes his nakedness shine brighter.”

Speaking via email on Oct. 7, Galschiøt said he initially approached left-wing Danish politician and European legislator Per Clausen MEP about displaying “The Orange Plague” at the European Parliament. The sculptor added that he was “astonished” the exhibition actually happened.

Galschiøt said he thought the European Parliament was the right place to display the piece because “it fits right into the discussion about whether the superpowers should have the right to bully smaller nations, and here Europe is the key player in standing up to them.”

When asked whether the artist had heard any reaction to the sculpture from Trump or the White House, Galschiøt said he had not heard from the U.S. president but also had not “had time to look” for reactions to his work.

On Oct. 7, a spokesperson for Clausen said via email that the pair had been discussing displaying the statue at the European Parliament for a couple of years. The politician reportedly said of the sculpture: 

I know some people think we shouldn’t provoke Trump and therefore shouldn’t exhibit a sculpture like this. To them, I have to say two things: First, we cannot accept living in fear and self-censorship. Second, if someone is so thin-skinned that they cannot handle this sculpture being exhibited in the European Parliament, then they have no business on the world stage.

A European Parliament press service spokesperson said the office could not comment on individual cases but that, in general, its lawmakers, known as MEPs (Members of the European Parliament), could sponsor “two cultural events or exhibitions per parliamentary term.” The spokesperson said:

The rules in place foresee that cultural events and exhibitions shall under no circumstances be offensive or of an inflammatory nature or contradictory to the values on which the Union is founded or likely to give rise to disturbances in the designated exhibition areas.

The spokesperson said all sponsored events must be approved in advance by the College of Quaestors, a political body “responsible for administrative and financial matters directly concerning Members and their working conditions.”

A spokesperson for Clausen said the politician sponsored “The Orange Plague” exhibition at the European Parliament.

Before visiting Strasbourg, the piece was previously on display at the United Nations COP30 climate conference in Brazil. According to Galschiøt’s website, the artwork is also set to be on display at the COP31 climate conference in Turkey in November.

For further reading, Snopes has previously investigated other golden Trump sculptures, and statues the Trump administration coated in gold.

‘Cornell 7’ gang rape lawsuit: What we know about the allegations so far

Sept. 29, 2026

A woman sued Cornell University and seven male students, accusing the students of drugging and r …

Read More

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In October 2026, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts moved its Steinway pianos from the premises in order to sell them.

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According to statements from the Kennedy Center and Steinway and Sons, the center leases some of its pianos from a Steinway franchisee who is retiring soon. The leases on 16 of the center’s Steinways are therefore expiring and the center needed to return them. Not all of its pianos were moved.

In October 2026, photos shared online appeared to show workers at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts moving Steinway pianos out of the Washington, D.C., center. The photos were accompanied by posts claiming the center was planning to sell all of its Steinways.

Because U.S. President Donald Trump — whose time as chair of the Kennedy Center Board has been tumultuous — announced in September that the facility had closed for renovations, the idea that the center was preparing to sell all its Steinway pianos seemed plausible to some online, and Snopes received several emails asking for a fact-check.

We contacted the Kennedy Center, the White House and Steinway and Sons for clarification on the matter. We heard back from the Kennedy Center and Steinway, both of whom provided statements disproving the rumor. As such, we rate the claim false. 

The photos posted online showed workers in hard hats moving grand pianos through the center’s hallways. One appeared to be wearing a shirt that said “Lewis” on it, which matched the name of a Washington-area piano moving company. We found no signs of generative AI or other tampering, meaning that the photos were real and the pianos were really being moved.

In its statement to Snopes and other outlets, the Kennedy Center said it was returning 16 leased pianos, not selling its collection. According to the statement, the center leases some of its pianos from a Steinway franchisee in northern Virginia who plans on retiring soon and is selling off his inventory. The leases on those 16 pianos, which were mostly located in “rehearsal rooms and dressing rooms,” are expiring as a result, the statement said. 

The center noted it was talking with Steinway’s corporate office, which is taking over the local franchise, about new contracts. It also noted center still has about half of its pianos on site, some of which it owns.

Steinway spokesperson Anthony Gilroy confirmed those facts in an email to Snopes. 

“The true story is that the owner of Steinway’s dealership for DC, Maryland, and Virginia is retiring and closing by the end of the year,” he said. “Sixteen Steinway pianos were leased by the Kennedy Center from that local Steinway dealer, who will be closing his store soon, and thus the pianos needed to be returned. That lease was done between the Kennedy Center and this local authorized dealer.”

The claim emerged during a chaotic two years at the Kennedy Center. Trump has treated the center as a pet project of sorts throughout his second term, installing himself as the center’s chairman and removing other board members, attempting to add his name to the center (a judge later ordered him to remove it) and closing the center for two years for repairs (then threatening to not complete those repairs unless his name is put on the building). 

For further reading, Snopes has covered numerous rumors about the Kennedy Center, including recent photographs of the president on Air Force One looking at a poster seemingly titled “Kennedy Center Demolition,” suggesting that Trump may be thinking of tearing down the building. 

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While speaking about the Iran war on Oct. 5, U.S. President Donald Trump said, “They [Iran] can take out a city. Let ’em take out Los Angeles, let ’em take out San Diego. This is a very small price to pay and it’s going to be over with very soon.”

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Trump said these words during an unscripted, tangential portion of a speech he gave at a Nebraska political rally. Many people, including high-level Democratic politicians and pundits, appeared to interpret him as saying the destruction of two large California cities would be a small price to pay for ending the war. White House spokesperson Steven Cheung replied on X that, on the contrary, Trump “was clearly stating U.S. cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran hadn’t been stopped.”

On Oct. 5, a rumor circulated online that, while speaking at a rally, U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran could “take out” Los Angeles or San Diego and that it would be a “very small price to pay” amid the war on Iran.

The joint U.S.-Israel military operation has killed thousands of Iranians, beginning with the assassination of Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, on Feb. 28, 2026. According to an October poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, only 28% of Americans approve of how Trump is handling Iran, as the cost of gas and groceries continued to soar.

“Trump on Iran: Let ’em take out Los Angeles and San Diego, it’s a small price to pay,” one X post showing a video of Trump speaking was captioned (archived). It had more than 15 million views.

The video was authentic, and the quote was correctly attributed to Trump. While speaking about economic sacrifices during the war at a Nebraska rally on Oct. 5, Trump said (at 1:47:01):

I want to see a tremendous victory. You want to see a tremendous victory ’cause it verifies all the things we did. And again, remember, with the war it’s just artificial. It’s a little bit high, it’s a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe. They can take out a city. Let ’em take out Los Angeles, let ’em take out San Diego. This is a very small price to pay and it’s going to be over with very soon. It’s essentially almost over with and they might keep going a little long. You know, they always say they have a big threshold for pain — they need it, let me tell you, they need it. But it’s gonna end very soon and it’ll end one way or the other and your gas and your gasoline and all of the things.

California leaders, including Gov. Gavin Newsom and the mayors of Los Angeles and San Diego, denounced Trump’s comments. 

“After sending the National Guard and Marines to occupy California,” Newsom posted on X, “Donald Trump is now saying our foreign enemies should ‘take out’ Los Angeles and San Diego. He is deranged and dangerous.”

We sought comment from the White House, which directed us to a statement on X (archived) by spokesperson Steven Cheung. Cheung wrote that Trump was “clearly” stating that “U.S. cities would have been threatened if a nuclear Iran hadn’t been stopped.“

It was unclear what Trump was referring to when he made the comment about “a small price to pay” and the White House’s response didn’t provide further context.

For further reading, we’ve verified numerous authentic Trump quotes, including that he said the Iran war was “small potatoes” and that when speaking about Iran negotiations, he said, “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody.”

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People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals euthanized approximately 67% of the animals that it took in during the year 2024.

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According to data provided by the state of Virginia, where the U.S. branch of PETA is headquartered, the figure is correct. The specific figure, according to Snopes’ own calculation of the data provided, is 66.7%. A spokesperson for PETA said via email that the statistics reflect it being the last shelter in its area to provide “free end-of-life services” for suffering animals, resulting in a high number of referrals from other shelters and vet clinics.

In October 2026, a rumor circulated online that animal welfare nonprofit organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals put down 67% of the animals it took in during the year 2024. 

Social media users claimed that PETA euthanized 2,213 out of the 3,317 animals it took in that year.

The assertion appears to have originated from a popular Facebook page called Rack Junkies that focuses on hunting and fishing.

In short, the claim is true, according to data provided by the state of Virginia, where the organization is headquartered. 

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ database of animal custody record reports for PETA in the year 2024 shows a total of 3,317 companion animals taken in, including 1,374 dogs and 1,885 cats. Of the total number, the data shows 2,709 of the animals were classified as “surrendered by owner.” 

Of those 3,317 animals, 2,213 were euthanized, making the percentage of animals euthanized by PETA that year 66.7% (which rounds up to 67%). 

Among the companion animals euthanized, 875 were dogs (63.7% of dogs taken in) and 1,299 were cats (68.9% of cats taken in). A separate figure for wildlife taken in throughout 2024 shows that 32 of 38 wild animals were euthanized (84.2%). 

According to PETA’s explanatory notes, also available in the report, the organization’s shelter is “the last in the region to still provide free end-of-life services” and that “dozens of Virginians were referred to PETA for end-of-life help” for animals by most of the area’s shelters and veterinary clinics, which the nonprofit says had a “significant impact” on the statistics.

The notes also say the euthanized wildlife animals “were critically injured/dying.”

(Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services)

A spokesperson for PETA said via email that the organization is appreciative for “the opportunity to respond even though it’s to a social media post that deliberately misrepresents PETA’s work and is written by a man who makes a hobby and career of killing animals, which is what PETA works against every day,” referencing Rack Junkies’ hunting content.

Snopes contacted Stephen Ziegler — whose name is in the biography of the Rack Junkies Facebook account — for a response to the PETA spokesperson’s comments. We will update this article if we receive a reply.

The spokesperson provided several examples of nearby pet owners and their companions who were referred to PETA for euthanasia, calling this “a small fraction” of cases. The spokesperson wrote: 

PETA’s services also span 260 localities across Virginia and North Carolina. So naturally, our intake—and by extension our euthanasia figures—will be higher than shelters that serve only their specific locality, because we are assisting exponentially more animals, including those from communities far beyond Norfolk’s borders.

PETA’s spokesperson reiterated the same points seen in the explanatory notes and added, “While other shelters in and around PETA’s headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, have adopted restrictive ‘no-kill’ policies aimed at keeping animals out of their shelters and often turn away animals, PETA takes in all comers without discrimination, without admission fees, appointments, waiting lists, or other obstacles.”

PETA’s intake policy notes that its “shelter does not have a waiting list or charge a surrender fee, and our staff is available 24/7, including to respond to after-hours emergencies and pick up and transport surrendered animals. We often take in aggressive or feral animals rejected by other shelters as unadoptable.”

The policy further states that some of the “dangerous” canines who were euthanized had been previously adopted out by other shelters that later declined to take them back “when families attempted to return them due to aggression” and that “more than 100 behaviorally unsound, ailing, and even actively dying animals were referred to PETA by area shelters and veterinary clinics.”

In 2012, PETA was the subject of an expose from news magazine The Atlantic, titled, “PETA’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad History of Killing Animals.” That article says that in 2011, the nonprofit’s adoption rate was only “2.5 percent for dogs and 0.4 for cats.” 

A spokesperson for PETA reportedly told the outlet that “euthanasia is a product of love for animals who have no one to love them” and that animals sometimes “need the comfort of being put out of their misery.”

Snopes has previously unpacked similar claims against PETA, including its founder’s previous comments on animal euthanasia and reports of PETA workers stealing family pets and euthanizing them.  

Claim:

Video from a political rally authentically shows U.S. President Donald Trump saying he has an IQ of 1,775.

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The clip as presented in some social media posts lacked context that made it clear Trump was not referring to his IQ when he mentioned the number 1,775 during a campaign rally speech. Rather, he was speaking about the “warrior dividend” his administration promised U.S. service members.

In early October, a claim (archived) circulated online that U.S. President Donald Trump said his IQ was 1,775.

IQ, or intelligence quotient, is a measure of a person’s relative intelligence. There are many different tests for IQ that usually assign the taker a number score. An IQ score of 1,775 would be remarkable, given that the Guinness World Records holder for highest IQ held a score of 228 before Guinness retired the record in 1990. 

One Facebook user who shared the claim included a clip of Trump saying: 

I’m a high-IQ person, unlike some other people I can tell you about. Very, the, among the highest IQs anywhere in the world, 1,775. And I said, you know, if we can scrap up $1 more we’ll be at 1,776, and that’s what we did.

The Facebook user captioned the video “Trump thinks his IQ is 1775.”

The clip of Trump speaking and his purported claim about his intelligence also circulated on X (archived) and Instagram (archived). Snopes readers contacted us, asking whether Trump really claimed his IQ was 1,775.

Trump did not claim to have an IQ of 1,775. Social media users appeared to misrepresent a portion of the president’s campaign rally appearance in Vandalia, Ohio, on Oct. 3, where he talked about the $1,776 “warrior dividend” his administration promised U.S. service members in December 2025.

The clip was authentic, meaning not generated with artificially intelligence or otherwise edited; Trump did say he had a “very high” IQ and that it was “among the highest IQ’s anywhere in the world,” immediately followed by saying “1,775.” However, the number referred to the amount federal officials initially suggested for the warrior dividend, not Trump’s IQ. This was clear when watching that section of Trump’s speech in full. 

Therefore, we find social media users miscaptioned authentic footage.

Speaking in Vandalia on Oct. 3, Trump said (at 2:17:38, emphasis ours, archived)

And remember just recently, I, just to give you an example, just recently, I gave all members of the military $1,776. And everyone said that couldn’t be done and I did it. And you know, Bernie, that, when they put the number I said, “What would be the right amount? What would be something we can afford for our great military?” They came back with 1,775 and they put it on my desk. “Sir, we can do 1,7—” Can you believe this? “We can do 1,775.” they said. I said, “Wow.” Nobody saw it but me, I’m very proud of this, very intelligent. I’m a high-IQ person, unlike some other people I can tell you about. Very, the, among the highest IQ’s anywhere in the world, 1,775. And I said, you know, if we can scrap up $1 more we’ll be at 1,776, and that’s what we did, 1,776.

Considering the full context of Trump’s speech, it was obvious he was not referring to his IQ when he said the number 1,775.

Though Trump often calls himself a “high-IQ individual” (in fact, he did so while telling the same story at a rally on Sept. 16) his actual IQ is unconfirmed. Snopes has previously debunked rumors that he scored 73 on an IQ test during his time at the New York Military Academy as well as an article claiming the president’s IQ was 156.

Claim:

Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin once said in an interview, “The moon is not what you think.”

Rating:

Throughout 2025 and 2026, YouTube channels posted videos online (archived) claiming that Buzz Aldrin, one of the first two astronauts to land on the moon, broke down in tears during an interview and said, “The moon is not what you think.”

At least three other popular videos (archived) on YouTube (archived) make the same claim (archived). Snopes readers sent emails asking if the claim was true.

Snopes could not find evidence that Aldrin ever said this in any interview he has ever participated in. Therefore, we’ve rated this claim as an incorrect attribution.

We reached out to Aldrin through his website’s inquiry form to ask if he has ever said such a quote, or anything akin to it. We’ll update this story if we receive a reply.

Searches for the “The moon is not what you think” quote and Aldrin’s name on Google, DuckDuckGo, Bing and Yahoo did not find any videos or transcripts of the interview in which Aldrin supposedly said the quote, or the full interview in writing. The searches did not reveal any credible news reports that quoted Aldrin saying these words. Considering one YouTube video claims Aldrin said the moon quote in interviews and another referred to the quote as Aldrin’s “famous warning,” it’s unlikely that there’d be no credible references to this quote outside of these YouTube videos.

Each of the four videos linked above tells a different story, and three of the four center the story around the moon quote Aldrin allegedly said. The fourth video, despite having a title about Aldrin apparently saying “The moon is not what you think,” is not about Aldrin. That video focuses on Michael Collins, another astronaut on the Apollo 11 mission alongside Neil Armstrong and Aldrin, and does not even include the quote “The moon is not what you think.”

The three videos that actually focus on Aldrin use the same commonplace artificial intelligence-generated voice for narration. In fact, two of these videos include YouTube’s “AI” label just under the videos’ titles.

The narrator, instead of Aldrin himself, says the quote in all three videos. None of the videos use footage from the interview in which Aldrin supposedly said it, even though one of the videos claims the interview took place in a television studio. One of the other videos changes Aldrin’s quote to “You are mistaken about the moon” in the middle of the video.

Each video assigns a different meaning to the quote in its conclusion. One video says Aldrin’s apparent quote was referring to the moon as the beginning of humanity’s exploration. Another video refers to the quote as a reference to the moon’s earthly origins. The third video suggests the quote means that no amount of data or knowledge of the moon can replicate the experience of being on the moon itself.

A search for the quote itself does show it has been used as a title for YouTube videos and social media posts. Snopes could not find any evidence the quote has ever been associated with Aldrin or any other astronaut.

This claim may have originated with an older video also narrated by an AI voice. A 2023 YouTube video titled “Apollo Astronaut Breaks In Tears: ‘The Moon Is NOT What You Think!‘” (archived) focuses on Michael Collins. The quote “The moon is not what you think” does not appear anywhere in the actual contents of the video.

None of the channels that posted the videos included publicly available contact information on their YouTube channels.

For further reading, we’ve previously collected 15 of our fact checks related to the moon.