Vice President Kamala Harris’s debate performance against Donald Trump was marred by a series of false claims and misrepresentations. With the help of left-leaning moderators, Harris attempted to downplay her extreme record and distort Trump’s policy positions.
Here are some of the most egregious lies she told during the debate:
- Misrepresenting Her Upbringing
Harris claimed to have grown up as a “middle-class kid,” but this is not accurate. Her father was a professor at Stanford University, and her mother was a biomedical scientist at UC Berkeley, indicating a more affluent upbringing.
- Misrepresenting Trump’s Tax Cuts
Harris falsely suggested that Trump’s 2017 tax cuts primarily benefited billionaires and corporations. However, IRS data shows that all income brackets benefited substantially, with the biggest gains going to working and middle-income filers.
- False Claim About Trump’s Sales Tax
Harris claimed that Trump plans to implement a “sales tax,” but there is no evidence to support this assertion.
- Exaggerating the January 6th Riot
Harris characterized the January 6th, 2021, riot at the US Capitol as the “worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War. However, this claim is an exaggeration, as the event did not pose an existential threat to American self-governance.
- False Claim About Project 2025
Harris claimed that Trump will implement Project 2025 if elected, but Trump has repeatedly denied any involvement with the project.
- Misrepresenting Her Abortion Stance
Harris claimed to support reinstating the protections of Roe v. Wade, but she has a history of co-sponsoring legislation that would codify abortion through all nine months of pregnancy. Harris also voted against protections for babies born alive after botched abortions.
- False Claim About Pro-Life Laws
Harris claimed that pro-life laws in several states criminalize miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies, threatening women with prison time. However, these laws include exceptions for abortion when necessary to save the life of the mother.
- Misrepresenting Trump’s Abortion Stance
Harris claimed that Trump will sign a national abortion ban and hire a national “abortion monitor” if elected. However, Trump’s 2024 abortion platform leaves decisions up to the states and does not mention a national pro-life coordinator. The GOP presidential nominee has also sworn multiple times that he would not sign federal legislation curbing abortion.
- False Claim About Late-Term Abortions
Harris claimed that women do not carry pregnancies to term and then seek abortions. However, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that thousands of abortions are performed after 21 weeks gestation.
- False Claim About the Border Bill
Harris claimed that a congressional border bill would have stemmed illegal immigration and fentanyl at the US southern border. However, the bill would have enshrined the existing invasion into federal law.
- Misrepresenting the SCOTUS Immunity Ruling
Harris claimed that the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity would make Trump “immune from any misconduct” if re-elected. However, the ruling only applies to official acts, not unofficial ones.
- Flip-Flopping on Fracking
Harris claimed she never supported a fracking ban, despite previously stating she was in favor of banning fracking during her 2020 presidential campaign.
- Denying Her Role in the Minnesota Rioters Bail Fund
Harris denied raising money to bail out left-wing rioters following the 2020 death of George Floyd.
However, she encouraged her social media followers to donate to a bail fund dedicated to those arrested for their role in the riots.
- False Claim About Trump’s Role in the January 6th Riot
Harris claimed that Trump “incited” the January 6th riot. However, Trump told protestors to “peacefully and patriotically make their voices heard” and sought to deploy 10,000 National Guard troops to the Capitol.
- False Claim About January 6th Deaths
Harris claimed that some police officers died as a result of the demonstrations. However, medical examiners determined that Officer Brian Sicknick died of natural causes.
- Repeating the ‘Fine People’ Hoax
Harris repeated the debunked lie that Trump praised white supremacists marching in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017.
- Repeating the ‘Bloodbath’ Hoax
Harris regurgitated the false narrative that Trump claimed there would be a “bloodbath” if he loses this November.
The vice president took Trump out of context. The latter was not calling for violence but was discussing the economic disaster that awaits Americans if Democrats win the election.
- Distorting Trump’s NATO Comments
Harris distorted Trump’s remarks, claiming he told Russia it could “do whatever the hell it wants” regarding Ukraine.
Trump never told Putin he could do “whatever the hell he wants,” and he never told Putin he could go into Ukraine.
- False Claim About Autocrats’ Preferences
Harris claimed that the world’s autocratic leaders are pulling for Trump to win. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly endorsed her presidential bid.
- False Claim About Combat Zones
Harris claimed that there are no US military personnel in combat zones.
However, the US has troops in Syria and Iraq who are routinely attacked by Iran-backed militias.
- Blaming Trump for Biden’s Botched Afghanistan Withdrawal
Harris attempted to pin the Biden-Harris administration’s botched Afghanistan withdrawal on Trump.
However, the evidence proves that President Biden’s decision to withdraw all US troops was not based on the security situation or the advice of his senior national security advisors.
- False Claim About Gun Confiscation
Harris claimed that she doesn’t support mandatory gun confiscation. However, she has openly expressed support for such a policy.
- False Claim About Trump’s Foreign Policy Record
Harris claimed that Trump is weak and wrong on national security and foreign policy.
However, under Trump’s administration, the US southern border was secure, and America facilitated multiple peace agreements between Israel and Arab states.
- Denying Her Support for Defunding the Police
Harris denied her past support for defunding the police.
However, she previously expressed support for “reimagin[ing]” policing and “redirect[ing] resources” from police toward other areas of government.
- False Claim About IVF
Harris claimed that under Trump’s abortion bans, couples who pray and dream of having a family are being denied IVF treatments. However, Trump has openly touted IVF and promised to make taxpayers fund it.
