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Live fact-checking Kamala Harris' town hall on CNN

Elections

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, speaks Oct. 23, 2024, during a CNN town hall in Aston, Pa., as moderator Anderson Cooper listens. (AP)

Louis Jacobson

By Louis Jacobson October 23, 2024

Samantha Putterman

By Samantha Putterman October 23, 2024

PolitiFact fact-checked Vice President Kamala Harris on CNN as she spoke with voters in a town hall outside of Philadelphia.

Former President Donald Trump was invited to hold a town hall on the network but declined. There are no future debates planned for the campaign.

ELECTION UPDATES: Follow along for our latest updates, fact-checks and analysis

Live Harris town hall fact-checks

See links in the live blog for sources.

stated on December 5, 2024 in remarks to reporters:

About 1% of federal employees are “actually working in the office.”

pants-fire

pants-fire

stated on December 1, 2024 in a statement:

On pardoning his son Hunter Biden

full-flop

full-flop

stated on November 10, 2024 in an interview on CNN's "State of the Union":

Inflation-adjusted weekly wages “are lower today than they were 50 years ago.”

false

false

Instagram posts

stated on November 7, 2024 in on social media:

“Something stinks” that Donald Trump won in several battleground states while Democrats won Senate or governor races in those states.

false

false

stated on October 31, 2024 in a social media post:

“I never mentioned” wanting to end the Affordable Care Act.

pants-fire

pants-fire

stated on October 29, 2024 in a speech in Washington, D.C.:

Former President Donald Trump would “force states to monitor women's pregnancies.”

false

false

Senate Leadership Fund

stated on September 1, 2024 in an ad:

Sen. Jon Tester “voted to let men compete against our girls in their sports.”

false

false

stated on August 20, 2024 in a post on X:

“In Montana, we cherish our public lands. But Tim Sheehy called to transfer them off, so the ultra-rich can buy them up.”

false

false

stated on October 22, 2024 in on Facebook:

“Ballots are not supposed to have fold lines or creases in the candidates name area” or it could invalidate your vote.

false

false

stated on October 21, 2024 in a Threads post:

The Biden-Harris administration “brought over” 10 million migrants who got 9 million jobs.

false

false

stated on October 23, 2024 in a CNN town hall:

"As of today, we have cut the flow of immigration by over half."

true

true

stated on October 17, 2024 in an ad:

Vice President Kamala Harris “wants struggling seniors to pay more Social Security taxes while she gives Medicare and Social Security to illegals.”

false

false

stated on September 25, 2024 in a debate:

“There was a bill to basically create a ban to make sure we never become a sanctuary state, that no locality passes those regulations, and (former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig) opposed that bill.”

mostly-true

mostly-true

stated on September 15, 2024 in an interview with WMUR-TV:

Gubernatorial candidate Kelly Ayotte “has voted for national abortion bans, she has voted to defund Planned Parenthood, and she shepherded Neil Gorsuch through the Supreme Court process, and then celebrated when Roe v. Wade was overturned.”

half-true

half-true

stated on October 15, 2024 in a rally in Atlanta:

Vice President Kamala Harris' plan “will raise taxes for the typical American family by an estimated $3,000."

false

false

Charlie Kirk
stated on December 8, 2024 in a post on X:

The 14th Amendment “has never been challenged at SCOTUS.”

By Madison Czopek • December 12, 2024
Facebook posts
stated on December 9, 2024 in a Facebook post:

Taylor Swift vowed to leave Elon Musk’s “toxic app X,” during the final moments of her Eras tour, calling him “rich, talented but heartless and immoral.”

By Sofia Ahmed • December 12, 2024
Jay Rothman
stated on December 1, 2024 in TV interview:

“The Universities of Wisconsin are 43rd out of 50 states in the nation, in terms of public support for our universities. The $855 million (budget request) gets us up to average.”

By Hope Karnopp • December 12, 2024
Threads posts
stated on December 9, 2024 in a post:

“A $7.20 an hour McDonalds employee … now gets a cool 1/2 million dollar reward” for helping police find the suspected UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter.

By Sara Swann • December 11, 2024
Facebook posts
stated on December 3, 2024 in a video:

“Leaked secret recording” captured Ghana’s Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia calling Ghanaians “gullible and weak-minded.”

By Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu • December 11, 2024
Mike Johnson
stated on December 5, 2024 in remarks to reporters:

About 1% of federal employees are “actually working in the office.”

By Louis Jacobson • December 11, 2024
Instagram posts
stated on December 2, 2024 in an Instagram post:

“New $40K AIDS cure is nearly 100% effective and requires two shots yearly.”

By Marta Campabadal Graus • December 11, 2024
Threads posts
stated on December 8, 2024 in Threads posts:

Photo shows pile of X-rated DVDs found at former Syrian president Bashar Assad’s palace.

By Sofia Ahmed • December 11, 2024
Social Media
stated on December 9, 2024 in in social media posts:

Substack article shows manifesto of Luigi Mangione, the suspect in health care executive's killing.

By Jeff Cercone • December 10, 2024
Social Media
stated on December 7, 2024 in posts:

“Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was set to testify against Nancy Pelosi for insider trading.”

By Loreben Tuquero • December 10, 2024