Kamala Harris, the sitting vice president and Democratic nominee, and Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, faced off in their first and likely only scheduled debate for the 2024 election campaign on Tuesday.
During the debate, both candidates exchanged criticisms about each other’s records in office and their respective plans if elected in November. AFP conducted a fact-check on the accuracy of several claims made by both contenders.
When asked if Americans are better off now than four years ago, Harris did not provide a direct response but stated that Trump had left them with “the worst unemployment since the Great Depression.” While it is true that unemployment peaked at 14.8% in April 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, it had decreased to 6.4% by the time Trump left office, making her claim somewhat misleading.
Harris proposed providing families with a tax credit of up to $6,000 per child and a $50,000 tax deduction for small businesses if elected. She accused Trump of favoring billionaires and corporations and suggested he planned to implement a sales tax that would hurt ordinary Americans.
In response, Trump blamed President Biden’s administration for causing record-high inflation, quoting exaggerated figures of up to 60% for some goods. However, current inflation stands at 2.9%. While inflation did reach 9.1% in 2022 under Biden, it remained far below the historic high of 23.7% in 1920.
Trump denied plans to introduce a sales tax but confirmed he would impose a minimum 10% tariff on other countries. Experts have noted that tariffs often translate into higher prices for consumers.
Trump falsely claimed that large numbers of people from countries like Venezuela, many from “mental institutions,” are entering the U.S. and committing crimes. He also repeated an unfounded claim that migrants in places like Springfield, Ohio, are killing and eating pets. Local authorities have found no credible reports of such incidents.
FBI data from 2022 shows violent and property crime levels are near historic lows, and research indicates that immigrants commit fewer violent crimes than U.S. citizens. Additionally, violent crime dropped 15% in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the previous year.
Harris accused Trump of blocking a bipartisan bill in February that would have tightened border policies, prioritizing politics over policy.
Regarding abortion, Trump repeated the false claim that Democrats, including Tim Walz, support “execution after birth.” This is incorrect, as infanticide is illegal in the U.S. No state allows the killing of a baby after birth. Debate moderator Linsey Davis corrected Trump, and Harris added that it is not true that women carrying pregnancies to term are requesting abortions.
Harris also suggested that Trump would sign a national abortion ban if reelected, a claim Trump immediately denied, stating that the matter should be left to the states.