During Tuesday’s debate, President Donald Trump repeatedly faced interruptions from ABC moderators Lindsey Davis and David Muir, who aggressively “fact-checked” his statements. Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris was allowed to make numerous false claims without facing the same level of scrutiny.
Trump was questioned by the moderators over his statements on abortion, with Muir claiming there are no states where abortions are performed at term. This assertion, however, is incorrect as several states have no limits on abortion, including Colorado and Oregon. The moderators were quick to jump in on Trump, while Harris’ own misstatements were largely ignored.
Harris misrepresented Trump’s stance on various issues throughout the debate. She falsely claimed that Trump would ban in vitro fertilization (IVF) and enact a federal ban on abortion — both of which he has publicly opposed. She also attempted to link Trump to the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, a set of policy proposals that Trump has said he does not endorse.
In another falsehood, Harris referenced Trump’s comments about the 2017 protests in Charlottesville, accusing him of calling white supremacists “very fine people.” This claim has been debunked repeatedly, with Trump condemning neo-Nazis during the event. However, the moderators did not fact-check this or any of her other misleading statements.
At one point, Harris claimed Trump threatened a “bloodbath” if he wasn’t reelected. Trump’s actual comments referred to the negative consequences for the U.S. auto industry if Biden’s electric car policies are implemented—not a literal bloodbath.
The debate ended with Trump questioning why Harris, after three and a half years in office, has not addressed the issues she claims she can fix. Harris sidestepped the question, leaving viewers with little clarity on her actual accomplishments.
