Fact Check: Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s Presidential Debate

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump engaged in their first and only scheduled debate of the 2024 election campaign on Tuesday. Harris, the U.S. Vice President and Democratic candidate, and Trump, the Republican nominee, clashed over their records in office and their plans if elected. Here’s a fact-check of their key claims:

The Economy: Harris avoided a direct answer when asked if Americans were better off than four years ago, accusing Trump of leaving Democrats with “the worst unemployment since the Great Depression.” This statement is misleading. While unemployment did spike to 14.8% in April 2020 due to the pandemic, it had dropped to 6.4% by the time Trump left office.

Harris also proposed a tax credit of up to $6,000 per eligible child and a $50,000 tax deduction for small businesses if elected, while accusing Trump of favoring billionaires and corporations. She claimed Trump planned to implement a sales tax that would harm ordinary Americans. Trump refuted this, instead blaming Biden’s administration for the highest inflation in U.S. history, citing exaggerated figures of 21% and 60% on some goods. In reality, inflation is currently at 2.9%, and although it peaked at 9.1% in 2022 under Biden, this is far from the historic high of 23.7% in 1920.

Trump denied plans to impose a sales tax but mentioned possible trade tariffs on other countries, which could lead to higher consumer costs.

Immigration and ‘Migrant Crime’: Trump falsely claimed that “millions” of people from countries like Venezuela, including those from mental institutions, are entering the U.S. and committing crimes. He also repeated a baseless claim that migrants are eating pets in Springfield, Ohio, which local authorities have debunked.

According to FBI data from 2022, violent and property crimes in the U.S. are near historic lows. Studies have shown that immigrants commit fewer violent crimes than U.S. citizens, and a 2023 study found a decline in incarceration rates among immigrants since 1960.

Harris accused Trump of prioritizing politics over policy by instructing Republican lawmakers to block a bipartisan immigration bill that would have strengthened southern border policies.

Abortion: Trump, who appointed three conservative justices to the Supreme Court that overturned Roe v. Wade, accused Democrats of being “radical” on abortion. He falsely claimed that Tim Walz, Harris’s running mate, supports “execution after birth.” Moderator Linsey Davis corrected him, noting that no state allows this, and Harris added that no woman carries a pregnancy to term and then seeks an abortion.

Harris asserted that Trump would sign a national abortion ban if reelected, but Trump denied this, insisting that the issue should be left to the states.

Ukraine: Trump incorrectly claimed that Harris attempted to negotiate peace between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky before the war started. Harris refuted this, pointing out that she never met with Putin. She did, however, meet Zelensky at the Munich Security Conference shortly before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.