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Donald Trump and Kamala Harris faced off in their first televised debate in the US election campaign.
During the 90-minute debate, the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates clashed over key election issues such as the economy, immigration, and abortion.
The claims made by the candidates have been examined by BBC Verify.
Are migrants in Ohio eating pets?
CLAIM: Trump alleged that immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating pets.
VERDICT: There is no evidence to support this claim.
Trump’s statement was based on a baseless claim that immigrants from Haiti were eating pets in Springfield, which was also shared by his vice-presidential candidate JD Vance.
Officials in Springfield stated that there have been no credible reports of pets being harmed by immigrants.
More information can be found here.
Was Trump-era joblessness the worst since the 1930s?
CLAIM: Harris claimed that Donald Trump left behind the worst unemployment rates since the Great Depression.
VERDICT: This claim is false.
At the end of Trump’s term in January 2021, the unemployment rate was 6.4%, which was lower than during the Great Depression.
Unemployment peaked at 10% in 2009 during a deep economic recession and has since fallen, reaching 4.2% in August 2024.
Are millions of people coming into the US from prisons and asylums?
CLAIM: Trump stated that millions of people are entering the US from prisons, jails, mental institutions, and insane asylums.
VERDICT: There is no evidence to support this claim.
While there have been about 10 million encounters with migrants crossing the border since January 2021, only a small percentage had previous criminal convictions.
Trump’s claim of “millions” is not backed by publicly available data.
Will Trump sign a national abortion ban?
CLAIM: Harris suggested that if Trump were re-elected, he would sign a national abortion ban.
VERDICT: This claim is misleading.
Trump has denied plans to sign a national ban and has stated that abortion limits should be decided by individual states.
Harris referenced “Project 2025,” a document from the Heritage Foundation that recommends limiting abortion access but does not propose a national ban.
Many former Trump officials are linked to Project 2025, but Trump has distanced himself from it.
Was inflation under Biden the worst in US history?
CLAIM: Trump claimed that inflation under Biden was the worst ever.
VERDICT: This claim is false.
While inflation peaked at 9.1% in June 2022 under Biden, it has been higher in previous periods of US history, including in 1981.
Inflation has since dropped to 3.3% as of May 2024, but remains a significant issue for voters.
Would Trump tariffs cost families $4,000?
CLAIM: Harris stated that economists predict Trump’s proposed tariffs would cost middle-class families $4,000 more per year.
VERDICT: This claim is based on estimates by some economists, but others have lower projections.
The $4,000 figure comes from analysis by the Centre for American Progress, while other estimates suggest lower impacts.
Is crime down in Venezuela because it’s sending criminals to the US?
CLAIM: Trump suggested that crime in Venezuela has decreased because criminals have been sent to the US.
VERDICT: There is no evidence to support this claim, as crime levels in Venezuela are attributed to economic factors.
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El gobierno venezolano no publica cifras confiables sobre la delincuencia, pero el Observatorio Venezolano de Violencia independiente sí lo hace.
El informe anual del Observatorio de 2023 dijo que las muertes violentas ese año, como homicidios, habían disminuido en un cuarto en comparación con 2022.
El Observatorio le dijo a BBC Verify: “La delincuencia se reduce en Venezuela debido a una reducción en las oportunidades delictivas: los robos bancarios desaparecen porque no hay dinero que robar; los secuestros se reducen porque no hay efectivo para pagar rescates.”
Dijo que no había visto evidencia de que el gobierno venezolano estuviera enviando criminales a EE.UU.
Reportaje de Lucy Gilder, Merlyn Thomas, Daniele Palumbo, Gerry Georgieva y Kayleen Devlin.