Presidential debate fact check: Analyzing Trump, Harris on abortion, immigration, more
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump took the stage tonight in Philadelphia for their first presidential debate of the Nov. 5 election season.
The 91影视 Fact Check Team investigated claims from the nominees and added context where it was missing on issues including abortion, immigration, guns and inflation.
Read on for our analysis of statements that exaggerated, mislead, misrepresented or otherwise strayed from reality. Our team uses primary documents, trustworthy nonpartisan sources, data and other research tools to assess the accuracy of claims.
More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | |
Donald Trump claim: 2020 election lawsuits failed only on 鈥榯echnicality鈥櫶
鈥淭hey said we didn't have standing. That's the other thing. They said we didn't have standing. A technicality.鈥澨
Sign-up for Your Vote: Text with the 91影视 elections team.
Trump has repeatedly and falsely claimed his 2020 election defeat to Joe Biden was 鈥渞igged.鈥 He continued down this line during Tuesday鈥檚 debate, claiming his election lawsuits challenging the results failed on 鈥渁 technicality鈥 of not having 鈥渟tanding,鈥 a legal term for the right to bring a lawsuit based on one's connection to the issue at hand.听
But that鈥檚 not true. Dozens of cases brought by Trump and his allies appeared before judges in hearings, including 30 that were heard on the merits, 91影视 reported. Every case but one failed.
More: Donald Trump falsely claims his election lawsuits failed in 2020 only on 'a technicality'听
Eight conservative legal experts that reviewed evidence in 64 cases in six swing states, finding that Trump and his supporters didn鈥檛 provide evidence of widespread election fraud.听
鈥淭hese cases provided the forums in which Trump and his supporters could and should have proven their claims," the report concluded. "This report shows that those efforts failed because of a lack of evidence and not because of erroneous rulings or unfair judges."
Of the 64 cases brought by Trump and his supporters, 20 were dismissed before a hearing on the merits, 14 were voluntarily dismissed by Trump and his supporters before a hearing on the merits, and 30 cases included a hearing on the merits, according to the report.
-Andre Byik, Erin Mansfield
Kamala Harris claim: Number of new manufacturing jobs under Biden surpasses 800,000
鈥淲e have created over 800,000 new manufacturing jobs.鈥
This claim 鈥 which echoes one 鈥 is not quite right anymore. Since Biden took office in January 2021, the 91影视 added about 739,000 seasonally adjusted manufacturing jobs, .
Previous estimates did put the job growth well over 800,000, but the Labor Department lowered it during its annual preliminary revision of its data. The department estimated that during the 12-month period that began in March 2024. Its final revision is expected in February 2025.听
鈥 Joedy McCreary
Harris claim: SCOTUS ruled Trump would be immune from misconduct while president
鈥淭he United States Supreme Court recently ruled that the former president would essentially be immune from any misconduct if he were to enter the White House again.鈥 听
This overstates the content of the ruling.
Harris is referring to a Supreme Court ruling from July that concluded in a that presidents, including Trump, are听at least partially immune听from prosecution for crimes committed while in office. But the court鈥檚 decision isn鈥檛 as clear cut as Harris鈥 remarks make it seem. It听declares that 鈥渙fficial鈥 acts by presidents听are protected, but steps taken as a candidate are not.
The ruling also leaves room for presidents to be prosecuted under a narrow set of circumstances, related to responsibilities 鈥渨ithin the outer perimeter鈥 of presidential duties, or to unofficial acts, as听91影视 previously reported.听The ruling did not grant Trump blanket immunity. 听
Fact check:听No, Donald Trump was not criminally prosecuted for taking out, repaying loan
Fact check:听No evidence that hush-money trial jurors were 'Biden voters'
鈥淭he President enjoys no immunity for his unofficial acts, and not everything the president does is official. The president is not above the law,鈥 Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the conservative majority in the ruling. 听
听Trump is the听first president听鈥 former or current 鈥 to be criminally charged.听听
-Brad Sylvester, Chris Mueller听
Donald Trump claim: Migrants eating cats, dogs in Ohio听
鈥淚n Springfield, (migrants are) eating the dogs. The people that came in, they鈥檙e eating the cats. They鈥檙e eating... they鈥檙e eating the pets of the people that live there.鈥澨
This claim echoes allegations made by Trump鈥檚 running mate, J.D. Vance, of stealing and eating cats in his home state of Ohio.听
But Springfield city officials, including the city manager, say there is no evidence of any cats or other pets being harmed or eaten by Haitian immigrants, 91影视 reported.听听
More: 鈥楾hey鈥檙e eating the dogs鈥: Trump echoes false anti-immigrant rumor during debate
There was an incident in Canton, Ohio, about 170 miles northeast of Springfield, involving a 27-year-old woman who was arrested in August on suspicion of killing and eating a cat, but the woman was not a Haitian immigrant, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
-Andre Byik听
Donald Trump claim: Biden took $3.5 million from Moscow mayor鈥檚 wife
鈥淏etween (Joe Biden) and his son, they get all this money from Ukraine, they get all of this money from all of these different countries, and then you wonder why is he so loyal to this one, that one, Ukraine, China, why is he - why did he get $3.5 million from the mayor of Moscow鈥檚 wife? Why did she pay him $3.5 million?鈥听
Trump has made similar claims before, including during his with Joe Biden in 2020. It鈥檚 a reference to released that year by the Republican-controlled Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
In a section called 鈥渒ey findings,鈥 the reports claims, 鈥淗unter Biden received a $3.5 million wire transfer from Elena Baturina, the wife of the听former mayor of Moscow," as 91影视 previously reported. A later section instead attributes this transfer to a company: "Rosemont Seneca Thornton, an investment firm co-founded by Hunter Biden, received $3.5听million in a wire transfer鈥 from Baturina. The report鈥檚 source for the claim is a confidential document it says is on file with the committees, but it does not elaborate.
Fact check:听Federal employees, not agencies, donated to Harris campaign
Hunter Biden's lawyer, George Mesires, 听that his client听was not an owner of Rosemont Seneca Thornton.
鈥淗unter Biden had no interest in and was not a 鈥榗o-founder鈥 of Rosemont Seneca Thornton, so the claim that he was paid $3.5 million is false,鈥 Mesires said.
Trump has tried before to , who is Hunter Biden鈥檚 father.听
-Chris Mueller听
Catch up on our convention, debate fact-checks
We fact-checked key speakers throughout the Republican and Democratic conventions. Catch up here on what was false, what was true and what was in between from Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, JD Vance, Tim Walz and a host of others.
- DNC Day 4:Kamala Harris | Fact check live blog
- DNC Day 3:听Tim Walz | Fact check live blog
- DNC Day 1:Joe Biden | Fact check live blog
- RNC Day 4:听Donald Trump | Fact check live blog
- RNC Day 3:听JD Vance | Fact check live blog
- Trump/Biden presidential debate: What the candidates got right (and wrong)
-Eric Litke
Donald Trump claim: No American casualties in Afghanistan in 18-month period during his presidency听
鈥淔or 18 months, we had nobody killed (in Afghanistan).鈥澨
Trump made this claim during an exchange about his negotiations with the Taliban that preceded the chaotic withdrawal of 91影视 troops from Afghanistan in August 2021.听
Trump didn鈥檛 specify the 18-month period he was referring to, but there is no such period in his presidency during which no 91影视 troops were killed in Afghanistan, according to the Defense Department鈥檚 .
Fact check:听Fox News poll showed Harris' support in Sun Belt, not with veterans
In 2017, 14 total deaths 鈥 including 鈥渉ostile鈥 and 鈥渘on-hostile鈥 ones 鈥 were recorded, according to the data. In 2018, there were 15. In 2019, there were 23. And in 2020, there were 11.
PolitiFact reported there was an 18-month stretch between February 2020 and August 2021 when but the period overlaps with President Joe Biden鈥檚 term in office.
This claim has also been independent fact-checkers.听
-Andre Byik听
Donald Trump claim: Harris was first candidate to leave the presidential race in 2020
鈥淎nd when she ran, she was the first one to leave because she failed.鈥 听
This is wrong. 听
While Harris did run unsuccessfully for president in 2020, she was not the first Democratic candidate to drop out of the race. More than a dozen Democrats vied for the party nomination, which ultimately went to President Joe Biden. 听
Harris ended her campaign on Dec. 3, 2019, citing a lack of financial resources. Other Democratic hopefuls who included California Rep. Eric Swalwell, then-91影视 Gov. John Hickenlooper, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton, New York Sen. Kristen Gillibrand, then-New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, then-Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan, former Texas Rep. Beto O鈥橰ourke, former Pennsylvania Rep. Joe Sestak and then-Montana Gov. Steve Bullock.
-Brad Sylvester听
Kamala Harris claim: Trump invited Taliban leaders to Camp David听
鈥淎nd (Trump) at the time invited the Taliban to Camp David, a place of storied significance for us as Americans.鈥听
Harris is right, but it鈥檚 worth noting that such a meeting never actually took place.听
In September 2019, he had planned to meet with Taliban leaders and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at Camp David to continue peace negotiations. But it didn鈥檛 happen 鈥 Trump suspended peace talks after the Taliban claimed responsibility for a car bomb that killed 12 people, including an American.
At the time, Democratic and Republican leaders criticized Trump for planning to bring Taliban members to the 91影视, and specifically to , which has long been used as a presidential retreat. He was also rebuked for the timing of the meeting, which was set to happen days before the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
-Chris Mueller听
Donald Trump claim: Harris proposed to take guns from all firearm owners
鈥淪he has a plan to confiscate everybody鈥檚 gun.鈥听
This is false, and it echoes a claim we previously debunked that Harris would 鈥渆nd the Second Amendment."听
While Harris has been a proponent of stricter gun control measures, there is no credible evidence of any plan to confiscate firearms from all gun owners.
Her campaign鈥檚 that include bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, universal background checks and red-flag laws. But it makes no mention of confiscating guns from all Americans.
The campaign website credits the Biden-Harris administration for enacting 鈥渢he first meaningful gun safety reform in decades,鈥 referring to听听President Joe Biden signed into law in June 2022, a month after the听elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. That听law enhances background checks on gun buyers听who are 18鈥21 years old, encourages states to develop better "red flag" laws and adds dating partners to the list of domestic abusers who are prohibited from buying firearms.听
鈥 Joedy McCreary听
Donald Trump claim: Worst inflation in US history happened under Biden
鈥淪he is Biden 鈥 (responsible for) the worst inflation we鈥檝e ever had.鈥 听
The highest year-to-year inflation rate since the consumer price index听was introduced was in 1917, when it hit 17.8%, .
While the inflation rate has been consistently higher under Biden鈥檚 administration than it was under Trump, it still remains far below that number.
The highest monthly rate during Biden鈥檚 presidency was 9.1% in June 2022, compared to a peak of 2.9% under Trump in June and July 2022, according to consumer price index data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The average annual inflation rate is about 5.7% under Biden, according to an Investopedia analysis that found the .
-BrieAnna Frank
Donald Trump claim: Harris wouldn鈥檛 meet with Netanyahu when he addressed Congress
鈥淪he wouldn鈥檛 even meet with Netanyahu when he went to Congress to make a very important speech. She refused to be there because she was at a sorority party of hers.鈥
This is misleading. It鈥檚 true that Harris, in her capacity as vice president, didn鈥檛 preside over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu鈥檚 July 24 address to Congress in order to attend a previously scheduled campaign event, 91影视 reported. 听
That event was the Zeta Phi Beta sorority鈥檚 national convention in Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Star reported. The sorority is among the country鈥檚 oldest historically Black Greek-lettered organizations. 听
Harris did, however, meet with Netanyahu at the White House the following day, as numerous听 . The vice president 鈥渞eiterated her longstanding and unwavering commitment to the security of the State of Israel and the people of Israel鈥 during the meeting, . 听
-BrieAnna Frank听
Kamala Harris claim: Trump said there will be a 鈥榖loodbath鈥 if he loses the presidential election
"Donald Trump the candidate has said in this election there will be a bloodbath if the outcome of this election is not to his liking"听
Harris is misrepresenting what Trump said, as Trump himself pointed out moments later. Harris is referring to a comment Trump made at a rally he held in . 听
While speaking at the event about the auto industry, Trump said it would be a 鈥渂loodbath鈥 for the industry if he were to lose the election.
鈥We鈥檙e going to put a 100% tariff on every single car that comes across the line, and you鈥檙e not going to be able to sell those guys if I get elected,鈥 during the speech. 鈥淣ow, if I don鈥檛 get elected, it鈥檚 going to be a bloodbath for the whole 鈥 that鈥檚 gonna be the least of it. It鈥檚 going to be a bloodbath for the country. That鈥檒l be the least of it.鈥澨
The full context of the comment shows he was warning about a metaphorical bloodbath for the auto industry, not promising violence if he doesn鈥檛 win the election.
鈥淚f you actually watch and listen to the section, he was talking about the auto industry and tariffs,鈥 Steven Cheung, a spokesman for Trump鈥檚 campaign, told the . 鈥淏iden鈥檚 policies will create an economic bloodbath for the auto industry and autoworkers.鈥澨
-Brad Sylvester听
Kamala Harris claim: Trump told Putin to 鈥榙o whatever the hell he wants鈥
鈥淚t is well known that he said of Putin, that he can do whatever the hell he wants and go into Ukraine.鈥听
This is technically accurate but an oversimplification by Harris, who made a similar claim during her speech last month at the Democratic National Convention.听
It鈥檚 a reference to a remark Trump made during a Feb. 10 campaign rally in South Carolina, where he suggested he might not aid NATO members attacked by Russia if they weren鈥檛 contributing enough money to the alliance, as 91影视 previously reported.
鈥淥ne of the presidents of a big country stood up and said, 鈥榃ell sir, if we don鈥檛 pay and we鈥檙e attacked by Russia, will you protect us?鈥"听Trump said. 鈥淚 said, 鈥榊ou didn鈥檛 pay? You鈥檙e delinquent?鈥 He said, 鈥榊es, let鈥檚 say that happened.鈥 No, I would not protect you.鈥
He added, 鈥淚n fact I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want.鈥澨
At the time, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Trump's comments could听endanger lives and undermine the security听of NATO members, including the 91影视
-Chris Mueller听听听
Donald Trump claim: Department of Justice played role in his four criminal prosecutions
鈥淓very one of those cases was started by them against their political opponent.鈥听
Trump has long sought to paint President Joe Biden and his administration as orchestrating his prosecutions.听
But under the Constitution, the administration did not have authority over the , who was convicted on 34 felony charges of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment to an adult film actress ahead of the 2016 election.
Nor does it have that power in the former president鈥檚 case in Georgia, where he and others have pleaded not guilty to charges of trying to steal the 2020 election. That case is on hold while an appeals court reviews a ruling that allows Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to remain on it.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e dealing with state prosecutions, it鈥檚 district attorneys elected by the voters of their jurisdiction,鈥 said听, a professor of history at American University. 鈥淭hat has nothing to do with the federal government.鈥
Additionally, when the Justice Department had the authority to pursue a case against Trump over the hush money circumstances, it .听
The federal classified documents case against Trump was dismissed in July with 91影视 District Judge Aileen Cannon saying Justice Department special prosecutor Jack Smith 鈥 in part to add a layer of separation between the investigation and the administration 鈥 was improperly appointed. Smith in August filed a new indictment in Trump鈥檚 federal election interference case to address the Supreme Court鈥檚 July decision that Trump had broad immunity from charges related to official acts as president.
Trump is due to be sentenced in New York on Nov. 26 鈥 three weeks after the election.听
鈥 Joedy McCreary听
Donald Trump claim: Crime has soared under Biden and Harris听
鈥淐rime here is up and through the roof.鈥听
Trump鈥檚 claim conflicts with the latest available data. 听
Earlier this year, the that showed in the first three months of 2024 compared to a year earlier, continuing a trend ongoing since a . Murder and rape were both down 26%, robbery was down 18% and aggravated assault fell by 13%, the . But some experts have cautioned that the data is still preliminary and likely overstates the drop. 听
Many cities in the 91影视 have reported from 2023 to 2024, Axios reported in April. Similarly, the number of murders in the first three months of 2024 analyzed by AH Datalytics, a criminal justice consulting firm.听
The most recent FBI data, which dates to 2022, shows the country鈥檚 violent crime rate at 370 per 100,000 people, the third-lowest rate in the last 50 years, behind only 2014 and 2019, according to . The FBI hasn鈥檛 released the final 2023 violent crime figures, which come out each October.
-Chris Mueller听
Kamala Harris claim: Project 2025 calls for abortion monitor to track pregnancies, miscarriages听
鈥淚n his Project 2025 there would be a national abortion monitor that would be monitoring your pregnancies, your miscarriages.鈥
This significantly overstates the nature of the monitoring called for in Project 2025.
does support anti-abortion policies, and it laments the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention abortion surveillance and reporting systems, calling them 鈥渨oefully inadequate.鈥
Fact check:听Project 2025 is an effort by the Heritage Foundation, not Donald Trump
Fact check:听False claim Trump said he'd force government monitoring on pregnant women
It calls for the Department of Health and Human Services to use every available tool 鈥渢o ensure that every state reports exactly how many abortions take place within its borders, at what gestational age of the child, for what reason, the mother鈥檚 state of residence, and by what method.鈥 But that's not the same as "monitoring your pregnancies." It appears to be calling for states to regularly report cumulative totals, not specific instances.听
It says reliable statistical data about abortion, abortion survivors and abortion-related maternal deaths 鈥渁re essential to timely, reliable public health and policy analysis.鈥
Harris also repeats a common overreach by calling Project 2025 Trump's plan. Trump allies worked on the plan, but Trump has repeatedly said he does not support all elements of the plan and wasn't directly involved in creating it.
-Andre Byik
Donald Trump claim: Tim Walz supports abortion in the ninth month听(updated)
- Corrections & Clarifications: This item was updated听Sept. 11 to clarify the timeline and nature of Walz鈥檚 actions on abortion as Minnesota governor, which included signing a bill that removed any restrictions based on gestational duration.
鈥淗er vice-presidential pick says abortion in the ninth month is absolutely fine.鈥听
There is no evidence Walz said this, though he signed a bill that removed limits to abortion based on gestational duration.
Walz that he supported 鈥渕aintaining the timelines outlined by current law,鈥 which at the time allowed abortions until the time of viability, around 24 weeks, for elective abortions, according to the . That viability standard was then through a law Walz signed.
Walz has taken other steps to protect abortion rights in the state. He听听and other reproductive healthcare into Minnesota state statutes in January 2023, seven months after the听Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Months later,听听that protected people traveling to Minnesota for abortion care, as well as the professionals providing that care, from legal repercussions from other states.
However, 91影视 found no record of Walz quotes expressing support for abortion in the ninth month of pregnancy.
There is no current restriction or ban on abortion based on gestational duration in the state, according to and .
Nationally, only 1% of all abortions occur at or after 21 weeks of pregnancy, .听
-BrieAnna Frank
Donald Trump claim: The economy and stock market improved under the Trump administration despite the COVID-19 pandemic听
鈥淲e handed them a stock market and economy that was higher than it was before the pandemic.鈥听
Trump is right about the stock market, but the economy as a whole was worse off when he left office than it was before the pandemic.
The (a popular stock market index) was up by about 8% (about 2,300 points) from February 2020 (the month before the was declared) to January 2021, when Trump left office.
But the overall economy was still reeling from the impact of the pandemic. was down from where it was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the unemployment rate had spiked as had lost their jobs. The unemployment rate was at 3.5% in February 2020 compared to 6.4% when Trump left office in January 2021, according to data.
-Brad Sylvester听
Kamala Harris claim: Trump left one of highest trade deficits in US history听
鈥淭he Trump administration resulted in a trade deficit, one of the highest we鈥檝e ever seen in the history of America.鈥听
This is accurate.
The country鈥檚 trade deficit reached its highest level since 2008 under Trump, who had during his 2016 campaign. In 2020, the combined 91影视 goods and services trade deficit increased to $679 billion, up from $481 billion in 2016, before Trump took office, reported. A happens when a country imports more than it exports.
However, the 91影视 trade deficit has been higher before, including in 2006, when it reached $764 billion under former President George W. Bush. In 2007, it dropped to $711 billion, remained about the same in 2008, then fell sharply to $395 billion in 2009 as a result of the recession, according to , which cited data from the .
-Chris Mueller听
Kamala Harris claim: Trump tariffs would cost families $4,000 per year听
鈥淓conomists have said that that Trump sales tax would actually result, for middle-class families, in about $4,000 more a year.鈥听
Harris also brought up this number during her speech at the Democratic National Convention in reference to听听and 20% on imported goods.听Her estimate is at the high end of the economic estimates.
While Trump has described it as听a way to raise revenue, economists say听, effectively making it a tax. But they disagree on the additional cost families would face.听
A听听found that tariff, and one of 60% on Chinese goods that Trump has also proposed, would听听by about $1,800.听Another think tank, The Peterson Institute for International Economics, says the听 more than $2,600 per year.听
But a projection from the conservative听听falls closer to the figure Harris cited, saying the 20% tariff and 60% tariff on Chinese goods for a middle-class family.听
鈥 Joedy McCreary听
Donald Trump claim: Immigrants in the country illegally have highest rate of 鈥榗riminality鈥櫶
鈥(Immigrants in the country illegally are) destroying our country.听They鈥檙e dangerous. They鈥檙e at the highest level of criminality, and we have to get them out.鈥
Immigrants are 60% less likely to be incarcerated than the broader 91影视-born population in recent years, according to a paper.
The paper, co-authored by Stanford University researcher , used 91影视 Census data and focused on immigrants present in the Census regardless of their legal status and on men between the ages of 18 and 40, according to a .
Fact check:听Migrants approached school buses, did not try to 'hijack' them
Fact check: No, 51M 'illegals' have not entered US under Biden, Harris
, vice president for economic and social policy studies at the Cato Institute, in , examined homicide conviction rates between those who entered the country illegally and native-born Americans in Texas. Nowrasteh found that those entering illegally had a lower homicide conviction rate (2.4 per 100,000) than native-born Americans (2.8 per 100,000) in 2015.
-Andre Byik听
Donald Trump claim: Inflation was at 21% under Biden听
鈥淲e have inflation like very few people have ever seen, probably the worst in our nation鈥檚 history. We were at 21%.鈥 听
This is wrong, according to . 听
The highest year-over-year inflation rate during Biden鈥檚 presidency was 9.1% in June 2022. The rate as of July 2024 was 2.9%.
By contrast, the highest rate during Trump鈥檚 presidency was 2.9%, which happened in both June and July 2018. The lowest rate was 0.1% in May 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 听
-BrieAnna Frank听
How we pick and research fact checks
Ever wonder how fact-checkers do their work? We've got you covered.
Check out our process explainer听to see how we pick claims, research them and edit them. This includes a rundown of how we cover live events like tonight鈥檚 debate.
And if you've ever wondered听who fact-checks the fact-checkers, you might want to read this op-ed explaining our emphasis on transparency. Because the answer is you! We use the format and approach precisely so that everyone has the ability to check our work.
-Eric Litke
Debate background: Rounding up our recent claims on Donald Trump听
Former President Donald Trump has long been at the center of online misinformation.
That was especially true in the summer of 2024, when rumors swirled about Trump鈥檚 ties to Project 2025, the assassination attempt against him in July and the former president鈥檚 unprecedented conviction on 34 counts in his New York criminal hush money trial.
Here are some of 91影视鈥檚 latest fact-checks on claims related to Trump:听
- Claim:Trump posted about military relationship, interaction with 鈥楥ivil War soldier鈥 (False)听
- Claim: Image shows Secret Service agents weren鈥檛 wearing earpieces during Trump assassination attempt (Altered)听
- Claim: Trump warned mpox will be used as an excuse for electoral fraud and lockdowns (False)听听
- Claim: Trump mistakenly addressed North Carolina at Pennsylvania rally (False)听
- Claim: Trump said cereal costs $100 a pound at press conference (False)听
- Claim: Image shows Trump falling asleep at the 2017 NATO summit (False)听
- Claim: Image shows 鈥楾rump train鈥 truck crashed into bridge (Altered)听
- Claim: Trump couldn鈥檛 land in Bozeman, Montana, because he owed the airport $12,000 (False)听
-BrieAnna Frank听听
Where to find our fact checks
In addition to live events like tonight鈥檚 debate, the 91影视 Fact Check Team publishes about 100 checks each month on the most viral and significant claims circulating online. Here鈥檚 how to find our work.
- Subscribe to our to have get the latest updates in your inbox each morning.
- to get our latest work in your feed.
- This landing page always has our most recently published work.
-Eric Litke
Debate background: Rounding up our recent claims on Kamala Harris听
In the weeks since the Democrats selected Vice President Kamala Harris to replace President Joe Biden at the top of their ticket, an array of false or misleading claims about her circulated.听
Many centered on her background, her record as vice president or her campaign platform. Some have been around for years, dating to Biden鈥檚 pick of Harris as his running mate in 2020. Newer ones center around her role in addressing immigration and where she and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, stand on gun control and taxation.听
Among the false or misleading claims related to Harris that 91影视 has debunked:听
- Fact check roundup: Biden exit, Harris entry spur flurry of false claims听听
- Claim: Kamala Harris was raised in Canada, is not African-American and held Black prisoners past release dates (Partly false)听
- Claim: Kamala Harris is ineligible to succeed Biden because of her parents' citizenship (False)听
- Claim: Kamala Harris was 'put in charge of the border鈥 (False)听
- Claim: Image shows Kamala Harris' Communist Party membership card (False)听
- Claim: Harris said she will 'end the Second Amendment'; Walz backed AR-15 ban (False)听
- Claim: Post implies Harris plan includes tax on unrealized capital gains for everyone (Missing context)听
- Claim: Image shows Kamala Harris post calling teen a 鈥榬acist鈥 (Altered)听
- Claim: Kamala Harris suggested young people shouldn't have children because of climate change (False)听
鈥 Joedy McCreary听听
Video series: Follow our work on TikTok, Instagram听
91影视鈥檚 video fact-check series debuted in March and highlights our team鈥檚 most impactful work, from debunking viral pieces of false news to fact-checking high-profile political events.听
A new fact-check video is published most weeks on 91影视鈥檚 and website.听
Here are some of our recent fact-check videos:听
- Video: Here's what claims Kamala Harris got right and wrong during her DNC speech听
- Video: Fact-checking Donald Trump鈥檚 speech on final night of RNC听
- Video: No, Tim Walz did not post an attack on Ann Coulter after she ridiculed his son听
- Video: Three Viral false claims made about the Trump rally shooting debunked听
-Andre Byik听
Debate background: Immigration a key issue even as encounters at southern border drop
Immigration has been one of the during the presidential campaign season. Under President Joe Biden, illegal border crossings , averaging more than from 2021 to 2023, according to Customs and Border Protection. But more recently, illegal crossings 鈥 or 鈥渆ncounters鈥 鈥 at the southern border fell to the only months after Biden announced .听
Vice President Kamala Harris was never put in charge of the southern border or made "border czar," contrary to some posts on social media, but that hasn鈥檛 stopped former president Donald Trump and other Republicans from attacking her immigration policy. In 2021, would lead his administration鈥檚 diplomatic efforts with Mexico and the Central American countries of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador to slow migration to the southern border. At the time, Harris said the administration 鈥渕ust address the root causes that cause people to make the trek, as the president described, to come here.鈥澨
Trump, meanwhile, has promised the largest deportation effort in 91影视 history if he is elected again. He also said he would from his first term, limit asylum access at the 91影视 southern border and eliminate automatic citizenship for people born in the 91影视 to immigrant parents.听听
In February, Republican lawmakers blocked an immigration bill that would have revamped the country鈥檚 immigration and border policies. Biden and Harris have blamed the bill's failure on opposition from Trump. Harris has vowed to and sign it into law if elected.听
- Claim:Kamala Harris was 'put in charge of the border' (False)听听
- Claim:51 million 'illegals' entered US under Biden, Harris (False)听听
- Claim: Biden executive order granted citizenship to 1 million immigrants in the 91影视 illegally (False)听听
- Claim: Nearly 11,000 鈥渋llegals鈥 were processed in Eagle Pass, Texas, in one day in mid-March 2024 (False)听听
- Claim:The Texas National Guard has deployed tanks to the border with Mexico (False)听
-Chris Mueller听
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