Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump took center stage tonight in Philadelphia, kicking off the presidential debate season like a dramatic reality show. Let’s dissect the circus of claims made by both contestants on hot-button issues like abortion, immigration, and more.
The USA TODAY Fact Check Team went into overdrive to slice through the fog of exaggeration, misinformation, and outright lies. Ready to wade through the muck? Good, because we’re diving headfirst into the madness.
Trump’s Technicalities: Election Lawsuits and Imaginary Success
During the debate, Trump lamented how his 2020 election lawsuits were dismissed on “technicalities” such as “standing.” He insists this is the only reason why his claims of election fraud didn’t triumph in court.
Here’s the cold, hard truth: Not so, Donny. Of the 64 cases he and his allies brought, every single one bit the dust except the one lucky winner. Legal experts concluded this demise was due to a stupefying lack of evidence, not some nefarious judicial technical glitch.
Manufacturing Miracles or Meltdowns? The Saga of Manufacturing Jobs
Kamala Harris boasted, “We have created over 800,000 new manufacturing jobs.” Nice try, but statistics beg to differ. Under the Biden administration, the tally stands at about 739,000. Labor Department bosses had the audacity to lower their estimates, blaming their long nap on inaccurate numbers.
The Supreme Immune System: Presidential Prosecutions and Their Loopholes
Harris weaved a thrilling tale of the Supreme Court getting cozy with presidential immunity. She hinted Trump would be free to run wild if he found himself back in the Oval Office.
Reality check: The court’s decision merely provides immunity for “official acts,” and not for Trump’s less-than-presidential shenanigans. Chief Justice Roberts even emphasized that not everything a president does qualifies as “official.” Sorry, Kamala, not so fast.
Ohio Apocalypse: Trump’s Migrant Horror Stories
Trump, ever the storyteller, spun a chilling yarn: Migrants in Ohio munching on cats and dogs. The truth? It’s a Donald Duck tall tale. Springfield city officials deny any four-legged feasting. A solitary case of a woman (not a migrant, and definitely not a cat connoisseur) doesn’t save his story.
Biden’s Moscow Millions: An Imaginary Payday
With the finesse of a tabloid journalist, Trump resurrected an old claim: the Biden family received $3.5 million from Moscow mayor’s wife. Hunter Biden, meanwhile, yawns and moves on with his life. Even Senate reports can’t tie Hunter to the mysterious cash.
No Dead Troops in Afghanistan? A Fictional Safety Record
Trump’s wild assertion: No American casualties in Afghanistan for 18 whole months during his presidency. The Department of Defense has their data, showing deaths every year Trump was in office. So unless he’s referring to a different Afghanistan, somebody’s fibbing.
Quick Exit: Harris’s Fake First Place
According to Trump, Harris’s 2020 presidential campaign was first to bite the dust. Nope. More than a handful of Democrats exited the stage before she did. Guess what, Harris made it through almost the entire game before folding. Check your calendar, Donny.
Camp David Fairytale: Taliban Visits That Never Were
Harris is spot on here: Trump indeed planned to wine and dine Taliban leaders at Camp David. Fortunately for everyone, the party was canceled after Taliban violence derailed the plan. Still, the invite was more real than some of Trump’s other proclamations.
Welcome to Gun-Taking Town: Harris and Firearms Fantasy
Trump lays on the drama, accusing Harris of plotting mass gun confiscation. Spoiler: it’s not happening. Harris’s platform supports common-sense gun control, not door-to-door gun grabbing. The fairy tale of Second Amendment obliteration? Just another chapter in the Trump fiction series.
Inflation Exaggeration: Biden’s Not-So-Basement
Trump slammed Biden for overseeing the most apocalyptic inflation in history. Truth bomb: Inflation did spike but comparing it to 1917’s 17.8% inflation is laughable. At its worst during Biden’s term, it hit 9.1%, which is bad but not end-of-the-world territory.
Netanyahu Snub: Sorority Party Priorities
Trump hammered Harris for missing Netanyahu’s speech to Congress for a sorority event. Sorority life is great, but it wasn’t a snub. She met Netanyahu the following day, making the story half-baked at best.
A Trade Deficit Doozy: Trump’s Economic Shortfall
Harris pointed out Trump left office with one of the highest trade deficits. For once, she nailed it. The trade deficit and Trump get along like Batman and Joker. There are larger deficits, but Trump’s reign saw a significant one, no doubt.
Donald’s Dark Warning: Misinterpreting the Bloodbath
Harris melodramatically quoted Trump foreseeing a “bloodbath” if he lost the election. Trump was talking cars and tariffs, not the actual apocalypse. His words, in the auto industry context, make him sound less like a horror movie villain.
So, there you have it. A debate filled with more fantasy than facts. False claims were bountiful, and we fact-checked them all. Tune in next time for another episode of ‘Debate Theater’ where reality gets more warped than a funhouse mirror.
