In a contentious debate on Tuesday night between former US President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, held in Philadelphia, several of Trump’s statements raised eyebrows for their misleading nature.
The debate, held in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election, marked one of the most anticipated events of the campaign. Trump, now running against Harris for the presidency, covered various topics, from crime and immigration to his involvement with Project 2025. However, fact-checks revealed that many of his claims are not grounded in reality.
Claim: Crime is on the rise in the US
During the debate, Trump claimed that crime in the United States is spiralling out of control, stating that “crime is way up”.
Fact-check: According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), violent crime in the US has been trending downwards since a peak in 2020. A report from the FBI in 2023 showed a 6 per cent decline in violent crime, with another 15 per cent drop in early 2024. The surge in crime in 2020 was largely attributed to the instability caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, but recent data indicates a reversal of this trend.
Claim: Abortions are taking place in the ninth month of pregnancy
Trump repeated a frequently debunked claim that abortions are being carried out late in pregnancy, even in the ninth month.
Fact-check: Abortions past 21 weeks are rare, which is less than 1 per cent of all procedures, and are typically performed due to serious medical complications or fetal anomalies. Moreover, Trump’s suggestion that abortions occur after birth – a case of infanticide – is not only false but also illegal in all 50 US states.
Claim: Trump’s ties to Project 2025
Project 2025, a right-wing blueprint for an extensive overhaul of the federal government, has raised alarm due to its proposals to dismantle key protections for reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and voting access. Trump, during the debate, denied any involvement in the project.
Fact-check: Despite Trump’s denial, evidence indicates a close alignment between his administration and Project 2025. Heritage Foundation, which is spearheading the initiative, has hosted Trump on multiple occasions. Key figures involved in the project are former Trump administration officials, making it difficult for Trump to credibly distance himself from its goals.
Claim: Immigrants are bringing violence to US towns
One of Trump’s more alarming statements was his claim that immigrants are “taking over towns” and engaging in violent behaviour, adding that immigrants have been responsible for eating pets in an Ohio town.
Fact-check: There have been no credible reports of immigrants engaging in violent activities in Ohio or other parts of US. Research consistently shows that immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than native-born US citizens. Local authorities in Springfield, Ohio, where Trump claimed pets were being eaten, have also refuted these allegations.
Claim: 2020 election lawsuits weren’t heard by judges
Revisiting the contentious 2020 election, Trump claimed that lawsuits challenging the election results were dismissed on technical grounds, specifically the lack of standing, and that judges never examined the evidence.
Fact-check: This is misleading. While some lawsuits were dismissed for lack of standing, others were evaluated on their merits. Judges across multiple states found that the evidence presented was either speculative or insufficient to prove fraud or irregularities.
Claim: The US had its ‘best economy’ under Trump
Trump boasted that the US enjoyed its strongest economy during his tenure, while Harris countered that Trump left the country with the worst unemployment since the Great Depression.
Fact-check: Both claims are exaggerated. While unemployment did spike to historic highs in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the economy began to rebound before Trump left office. By contrast, Trump’s claim of overseeing the ‘best economy’ is also misleading, as various economic indicators, such as the gross domestic product and trade deficit, were far from ideal during his term. Under his leadership, the US economy experienced significant fluctuations, but it was not at its peak.
Claim: The Central Park Five were guilty
Despite their exoneration, Trump doubled down on his stance regarding the Central Park Five – five Black teenagers wrongfully convicted of a 1989 assault and rape – claiming that they were guilty.
First Published: Sep 11 2024 | 10:37 AM IST
