What is circulating vs the facts

What is circulating

“In his 15 August 2025 state address, Prabowo said farmers everywhere were smiling "because grain prices are stable and their incomes have risen," and that national rice reserves exceeded 4 million tonnes.”

Claimed by Prabowo Subianto, President · official statement

The facts

BPS recorded rice output of 21.76 million tonnes in January to July 2025, up 14.49 percent year on year, which supports the reserve figure. But in the BPS 2024 agricultural economy survey only 16.13 percent of individual farmers said their situation had improved, while 21.81 percent said it had worsened, and BPS price series show farm-gate grain prices rising over the years rather than staying stable.

Fact check: Kompas.com Cek Fakta

What is circulating

“"We have 1.6 million illegal aliens that have gone home voluntarily."”

Claimed by Kristi Noem · official statement

The facts

PolitiFact rated the claim Half True. The figure comes from a Center for Immigration Studies estimate of a 1.6 million drop in the unauthorized population over six months, which also counts people who were deported, died or changed legal status. The estimate relies on a survey of about 60,000 households with a margin of error of about 830,000, and DHS reported 239,000 deportations as of June 30, 2025.

Fact check: PolitiFact

What is circulating

“A video shows Finance Minister Sri Mulyani saying that teachers are "a burden on the state."”

Claimed by Viral video on social media · social media

The facts

The Finance Ministry said on 19 August 2025 that the clip was a deepfake cut from her 7 August 2025 speech at ITB, where she discussed the budget challenge of paying teachers and lecturers. Sri Mulyani denied ever calling teachers a burden, and Mafindo cited the clip as an example of manipulated content used to inflame the public.

Fact check: Republika · Fact check: ANTARA

What is circulating

“President Marcos cancelled his 2025 State of the Nation Address after the devastation caused by Tropical Storm Crising.”

Claimed by YouTube channel BOSS BALITA TV · social media

The facts

On 22 July 2025 Marcos suspended preparations for the speech after photos of workers hanging his posters in heavy rain went viral, but neither Malacañang nor Congress cancelled or postponed it. The House said 90 to 95 percent of preparations were done, Marcos said his speech was 80 percent complete, and he delivered it as scheduled on 28 July. VERA Files rated the claim misleading.

Fact check: VERA Files

What is circulating

“In his State of the Nation Address on 28 July 2025, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said there were no guerrilla groups left in the country.”

Claimed by Ferdinand Marcos Jr. · official statement

The facts

Three days after the speech, the Philippine Army's 8th Infantry Division reported two clashes with the New People's Army in Las Navas, Northern Samar, on 31 July 2025, leaving eight suspected rebels dead and eight high-powered firearms recovered. Philstar.com rated the claim false because armed groups were still active.

Fact check: Philstar.com

What is circulating

“In her first Question Time as opposition leader on 23 July 2025, Ley said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had "delivered just 17" of the 1.2 million homes Labor promised.”

Claimed by Sussan Ley, then Australian Opposition Leader · official statement

The facts

AAP FactCheck rated the claim False. Federal and state data show federal funding has supported construction of more than 2,400 homes under Labor, including at least 230 under the Social Housing Accelerator by August 2025. The Affordable Housing Bond Aggregator alone supported 2,100 homes from 2022/23.

Fact check: AAP FactCheck

What is circulating

“On CBS's "Face the Nation" on 20 July 2025, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said of Trump's tariffs: "this is going to pay off our deficit."”

Claimed by Howard Lutnick, Commerce Secretary · news report

The facts

PolitiFact rated the claim False. The Congressional Budget Office projected tariffs would reduce deficits by about $2.8 trillion over 10 years, against a projected 10 year deficit of almost $21.8 trillion. The tax and spending law Trump signed on 4 July 2025 was estimated to add $3.4 trillion to deficits, more than the projected tariff revenue.

Fact check: PolitiFact

What is circulating

“On a podcast on 14 July 2025, Newsom said: "California provides $83.1 billion more than we receive from the federal government."”

Claimed by Gavin Newsom · official statement

The facts

PolitiFact rated the claim Mostly True. Rockefeller Institute data for 2022 show California paid $83.1 billion more to Washington than it received, while Texas received $71.1 billion more than it paid. Excluding pandemic spending, California's gap widens to $126.5 billion, though a separate figure Newsom cited on blue counties' share of GDP, 71 percent, was outdated; it was 62 percent in 2024.

Fact check: PolitiFact

What is circulating

“In a House floor speech on 2 July 2025 against Trump's tax and spending bill, Jeffries said: "Tax breaks for billionaires, permanent; tax breaks for everybody else, expire."”

Claimed by Hakeem Jeffries · official statement

The facts

PolitiFact rated the claim Half True. Deductions for tips and overtime run only from 2025 to 2028, while the estate tax exemption rises permanently to $15 million for single filers and $30 million for couples. But the law also makes the 2017 tax cuts permanent for all income groups, and the Tax Policy Center found the bottom 80 percent receive about 40 percent of the savings.

Fact check: PolitiFact

What is circulating

“A video shows Finance Minister Sri Mulyani rebuking the DPR, saying Jokowi kept debt below 35 percent of GDP and paid off Rp7,000 trillion of state debt.”

Claimed by Social media users · social media

The facts

The footage comes from a 5 April 2024 Kompas TV broadcast of Sri Mulyani testifying at the Constitutional Court in the presidential election dispute, where she denied that budget adjustments funded social aid. She said nothing about debt in that hearing; the audio was altered.

Fact check: Kompas.com Cek Fakta

What is circulating

“Gibran clarified that he never promised 19 million jobs, but one job paying Rp19 million, and that the media deliberately twisted his words.”

Claimed by Social media users · social media

The facts

Recordings of the 21 January 2024 vice presidential debate show Gibran clearly saying that if downstreaming, green energy, the creative economy and small businesses were managed well, "19 million jobs" could open up. Kompas found no such clarification by Gibran; the quote circulating from 30 July 2025 was fabricated.

Fact check: Kompas.com Cek Fakta

What is circulating

“"The head of BPS reported to me that unemployment is falling. Absolute poverty is falling," Prabowo said at the PSI congress in Solo on 20 July 2025.”

Claimed by Prabowo Subianto, President · official statement

The facts

The open unemployment rate did fall, from 4.82 percent in February 2024 to 4.76 percent in February 2025, but the number of unemployed rose by 83,450 to 7.28 million. The latest poverty data available then, for September 2024, showed a fall to 8.57 percent or 24.06 million people; the March 2025 release had been postponed.

Fact check: Kompas.com Cek Fakta

What is circulating

“A video shows Senate President Hun Sen asking Thais to send 300 baht via TrueMoney to fund a war against Thailand, promising 50,000 baht in return.”

Claimed by Social media video · social media

The facts

Cambodia's Ministry of Post and Telecommunications said the clip reused footage of Hun Sen's 27 June 2025 meeting with civil servants in Preah Vihear with an AI-generated Thai voice track, and condemned it as malicious disinformation. Hun Sen said on Facebook on 29 June that the voice was an AI impersonation and that he never asked for donations.

Fact check: Khmer Times · Fact check: AI Incident Database

What is circulating

“Singapore refused to sell oil to Cambodia and told Hun Sen to go home, saying he lacked diplomatic manners.”

Claimed by X user posting in Thai · social media

The facts

There was no official report of Singapore halting oil sales to Cambodia, and after Prime Minister Lawrence Wong met Hun Manet in Phnom Penh on 2 July 2025, Singapore's Foreign Ministry described 'excellent ties'. AFP traced the photo to the 2019 ASEAN summit in Bangkok; Hun Sen stepped down as prime minister in 2023. The post was shared more than 12,000 times.

Fact check: AFP via Cambodianess

What is circulating

“Responding to Republican criticism during the Los Angeles immigration protests, Newsom posted on X on 10 June 2025: "California has lower homicide rates than Alabama, Arkansas and Oklahoma."”

Claimed by Gavin Newsom · social media

The facts

PolitiFact rated the claim Mostly True. CDC data for 2022 show homicide rates per 100,000 people of 14.9 in Alabama, 11.8 in Arkansas, 8.3 in Oklahoma and 5.9 in California, and FBI 2023 data show the same order. Newsom slightly overstated Alabama's gap as triple when it was about 2.5 times, and California's overall violent crime rate, 508 per 100,000, is higher than Oklahoma's and Alabama's.

Fact check: PolitiFact

What is circulating

“A leaked recording captures former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono angrily telling police chief Listyo Sigit he is unfit for office.”

Claimed by Social media users · social media

The facts

The voice belongs to a navy officer, Colonel Rochmad Suhadji, not Yudhoyono, according to Kompas's trace of the original videos. Democratic Party deputy chair Benny K Harman said on 1 February 2025 that he had checked and it was not Yudhoyono's voice.

Fact check: Kompas.com Cek Fakta

What is circulating

“A video shows Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia and National Economic Council chair Luhut Pandjaitan being arrested by police over Raja Ampat nickel mining.”

Claimed by Social media users · social media

The facts

The video carries a PixVerse.ai watermark, showing it was generated with an AI video app, and the deepware.ai detector rated it 91 percent likely to be a deepfake. Neither official was arrested.

Fact check: Kompas.com Cek Fakta

What is circulating

“Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian is the biological son of PKI leader DN Aidit.”

Claimed by Social media users · social media

The facts

Tito was born in Palembang on 26 October 1964 to Achmad Saleh, a journalist at RRI Palembang, and Kordiah, a midwife; his father died in 2016. DN Aidit's five children are Ilham, Ibarruri Putri Alam, Ilya, Iwan and Irfan, and there is no evidence linking Tito to him.

Fact check: Kompas.com Cek Fakta

What is circulating

“Culture Minister Fadli Zon said on 8 June 2025 that there was never any proof of mass rape during the May 1998 riots: "That is a story."”

Claimed by Fadli Zon, Culture Minister · official statement

The facts

The government-formed Joint Fact-Finding Team (TGPF) on the 13 to 15 May 1998 riots verified 85 women who suffered sexual violence, including 52 rape victims and 14 victims of rape with assault, in Jakarta, Medan and Surabaya. A more detailed report from Komnas Perempuan recorded 168 victims of rape and sexual abuse who had come forward by 3 July 1998.

Fact check: Kompas.com Cek Fakta

What is circulating

“Southwest Papua Governor Elisa Kambu said on 8 June 2025 that reports of environmental damage from nickel mining on Gag Island in Raja Ampat were a hoax.”

Claimed by Elisa Kambu, Governor of Southwest Papua · official statement

The facts

On the same day the Environment Minister set out indications of violations and environmental damage from nickel mining in Raja Ampat, including PT Gag Nikel, which operates on a small island of about 6,030 hectares. The mining advocacy network Jatam counted 262 hectares of deforestation on Gag from 2017 to 2024, and Sentinel 2 satellite images show land clearing growing markedly between 2018 and March 2025.

Fact check: Kompas.com Cek Fakta