But perhaps her greatest move of the night came during a discussion about abortion. When Trump was floundering with his answer on Roe v. Wade, Harris pounced, making an emotional appeal to women and accusing Trump of pushing âTrump abortion bansâ across the country. While her passion was clear, NBCâs fact-checkers quickly noted that the term âTrump abortion bansâ was, well, not a thing.
âHer ability to create completely new terms and then treat them like long-established facts is nothing short of remarkable,â said one fact-checker. âWeâve got to give her credit for that. Itâs like watching a magician pull a rabbit out of a hatâexcept the rabbit isnât real, and neither is the hat.â
To be fair, Harris wasnât the only one bending the truth that night. Trump, as usual, had his own share of âalternative factsâ to contribute to the conversation. From defending the size of his rally crowds to discussing debunked reports about immigrants in Ohio abducting and eating pets, the former president was in peak form, leaving fact-checkers scrambling to keep up.
But according to NBCâs tally, Harris edged out Trump by a significant margin. âSure, Trump had his moments of exaggeration and bluster, but Kamala was on another level,â said one analyst. âItâs like she was playing chess, and Trump was playing checkersâboth were bending the truth, but she did it with style.â
NBCâs final report found that Trump, while certainly no stranger to falsehoods, had only racked up 15 notable lies during the debateânearly half of Harrisâs total. âHe just couldnât keep pace with her,â one fact-checker noted. âItâs like he was trying to fight misinformation with a blunt hammer, while she was weaving a tapestry of half-truths and misdirections. Sheâs good at lying, no doubt about it.â
The audience, both in the debate hall and at home, was left reeling from the sheer volume of misinformation flying across the stage. Social media exploded with reactions, as viewers tried to make sense of what they had just witnessed.
