Fact-checking Donald Trump’s false claims in the debate with Kamala Harris

Donald Trump repeated several false and misleading claims during his debate with Kamala Harris in Philadelphia on Tuesday.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the inaccurate claims made by Trump during Tuesday’s debate.

Donald Trump claimed crime is significantly rising in the US.

The facts: Trump’s claim is false; FBI data shows violent crime decreased during his presidency, with a 2020 spike during the pandemic, followed by a decline.

Preliminary FBI data shows a 6% drop in violent crime in 2023 and a 15% drop in the first quarter of 2024. Although crime spiked in 2020 during the pandemic, it has been decreasing since, nearing pre-pandemic levels by 2022. The 2023 data, covering 80% of law enforcement agencies, suggests this downward trend continues.

 

Trump repeated one of his common false claims: that abortions occur in the ninth month of pregnancy.

The facts: Less than 1% of abortions happen after 21 weeks of pregnancy. When they do, it is often due to medical emergencies or fetal anomalies.

Trump also falsely suggested that abortions occur after birth, which would be infanticide, a crime in all 50 states.

 

Trump denied knowledge of Project 2025, a comprehensive right-wing plan to overhaul nearly every aspect of the federal government.

The facts: Despite distancing himself from the project, which aims to strip reproductive, LGBTQ+, and voting rights, Trump's policies closely align with it.

According to The Guardian's Rachel Leingang, Trump is familiar with the Heritage Foundation and has spoken at their events. Kevin Roberts, the leader of Heritage, has mentioned having multiple conversations with Trump, and many of the contributors to Project 2025 are former officials from Trump's administration.

 

Trump made numerous false claims about immigration, including the claim that immigrants are “taking over the towns … They’re going in violently.”

The facts: This claim is false. While some cities have seen an influx of immigrants, most have arrived legally, with work permits or legal authorization to stay while their cases are processed.

There has been no widespread violence, and studies, including from the Cato Institute, show immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than US-born citizens.

 

Trump also repeated an unproven claim that immigrants were eating pets in an Ohio town, prompting the moderator to intervene.

The facts: This claim is false and unsubstantiated.

Moderator David Muir told Trump that the city manager of Springfield, Ohio, confirmed no credible reports of pets being harmed by immigrants. Local police also reported no incidents of pets being stolen or eaten, according to the Springfield News-Sun.

 

Trump repeated misinformation about the lawsuits contesting the 2020 election results.

Trump claimed that judges didn’t review the election lawsuits he and his allies filed, dismissing them on a technicality by saying they lacked standing, including for the president. He argued this was the reason they lost.

The facts: This is misleading. Some lawsuits were dismissed for lack of standing, while others were rejected on merit, with judges finding the evidence speculative or failing to prove fraud.

 

Trump boasted that the US had its “best” economy under his leadership, while Harris said he left the country with “the worst unemployment since the Great Depression.”

The facts: Both statements are incorrect. While unemployment soared to its highest levels since the Great Depression during the pandemic, it had begun to fall before Trump left office.

Trump’s "best economy" claim has been repeatedly debunked. Metrics like GDP, unemployment, and the trade deficit show the economy was far from its peak.

 

Trump doubled down on his claims about the exonerated Central Park Five, Black teenagers wrongfully convicted of a 1989 crime based on coerced confessions.

The facts: The five teenagers were fully exonerated after a convicted murderer confessed to the crime in 2002. They received a $41 million settlement in 2014.

In 1989, Trump spent $85,000 on newspaper ads calling for the execution of the Central Park Five. The ads, titled “Bring Back The Death Penalty. Bring Back Our Police!” included a statement from Trump saying he wanted to hate the "muggers and murderers" and called for their execution to deter future crimes.