MBFC's Daily Vetted Fact Checks for 12/03/2025

Fact Check Search

Media Bias Fact Check selects and publishes fact checks from around the world. We only utilize fact-checkers that are either a signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) or have been verified as credible by MBFC. Further, we review each fact check for accuracy before publishing. We fact-check the fact-checkers and let you know their bias. When appropriate, we explain the rating and/or offer our own rating if we disagree with the fact-checker. (D. Van Zandt)

Claim Codes: Red = Fact Check on a Right Claim, Blue = Fact Check on a Left Claim, Black = Not Political/Conspiracy/Pseudoscience/Other

Fact Checker bias rating Codes: Red = Right-Leaning, Green = Least Biased, Blue = Left-Leaning, Black = Unrated by MBFC

BLATANT LIE	Claim by Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R): Fentanyl and drug overdoses in 2024 claimed more lives than the Vietnam War. Gigafact rating: False (CDC data shows 79,000 overdose deaths from January 2024 to January 2025 — far below even the most conservative Vietnam War death estimates. The war caused at least 258,220 combatant deaths, and broader scholarly estimates place total Vietnamese and American deaths near 940,220. Only the 58,220 American military deaths are roughly comparable to the 53,206 opioid deaths in 2024, but Mullin’s claim referred to total overdoses, which remained far lower than Vietnam’s overall casualty totals.) Did fentanyl and drug overdoses claim more lives in 2024 than the Vietnam War, as Sen. Mullin claimed? Senator Markwayne Mullin Rating
TRUE	Claim via Social Media: FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi spent nearly $1 million in overtime pay for FBI personnel to redact files related to the Jeffrey Epstein case. Snopes rating: True (FBI documents released through Bloomberg reporter Jason Leopold’s FOIA lawsuit confirm that 934 FBI personnel worked 14,278 overtime hours between March 17–22, 2025, costing $851,344. This overtime was used to process and redact Epstein-related files as part of the “Epstein Transparency Project 2025.” The records do not confirm claims that the overtime was spent removing Donald Trump’s name or that the money went entirely to “redaction training,” but they do verify the substantial overtime expenditure.) FBI paid nearly $1M in overtime to redact Epstein files, documents show
BLATANT LIE	Claim via Social Media: Keith Urban has cancelled his New York shows in protest of Zohran Mamdani’s election as mayor. AAP rating: False (Urban has no shows scheduled in the city and the quotes attributed to him are fake.) False claims of Keith Urban spat with Zohran Mamdani spread online
FALSE	(International: India): Video shows a crying Indian soldier telling PM Modi not to challenge Pakistan BOOM Fact Check rating: False AI Video Peddled To Falsely Claim Indian Soldier Fearful Of Pakistan \| BOOM

Disclaimer: We are providing links to fact-checks by third-party fact-checkers. If you do not agree with a fact check, please directly contact the source of that fact check.