DigitEye India Fact Checkers
The US Presidential Debate held on September 10, 2024, between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump hit headlines across the globe. However, one claim that is being shared on social media has become intriguing. The narrative was that a wireless earphone was embedded in Kamala Harris’s earring.
As per the debate rules, candidates were not allowed props, pre-written notes, or interaction with their campaign staff during commercial breaks during the debate hosted by ABC News.
One claim said, “I told you she had an earpiece.” Another shared an article about “smart earrings”, hinting that she used the company’s earpiece.
This was a #KamalaHarris #CNN interview from 2 weeks ago.
It clearly looks like she is listening to some type of earpiece. 🤔
This is why a lot of people are questioning last night’s #PresidentialDebate
What do you think?? pic.twitter.com/KT0orp0725
— Black Alpha Network (@BlackAlphaNetw1) September 11, 2024
It has been widely shared and can be accessed here and here.
FACT CHECK
When Digiteye India received a request on its WhatsApp, we checked for earrings of Kamala Harris. Further search on X revealed that the earrings were old and worn by Kamala Harris several times in the past. since the claim that the earpiece is NOVA H1, sold by Munich-based Icebach Sound Solutions, we searched for the details of the ear rings and found that the wireless earphones are embedded in a pair of pearl earrings.
People are saying Kamala was wearing an ear piece during the debate and was being fed lines 🤔 pic.twitter.com/2z0KaqVkSr
— State of Society 🌎 (@StateOfSociety_) September 11, 2024
But the company, Icebach Sound Solutions, in a press relase on Sept. 13, said that based on analysis of photos from the debate, “we have come to the conclusion that these are not our H1 Audio Ear Rings.”
One user on X even shared a photo of Tiffany earrings identical to Harris’s, which retail for over $3,300 but are no longer available on Tiffany’s website.
I’m not totally convinced about the earpiece, but found some earrings from Tiffany’s that look more like what she’s wearing.
Not defending Kamalamity … But something doesn’t match up with the shape of the earring. It just doesn’t look the same. 🤔 IDKhttps://t.co/XYugrF1i44 pic.twitter.com/ruH0GYTwZF— just in Seattle (@BugBugDoodlez) September 11, 2024
We also found that Harris had been seen wearing the ear rings even before the debate. Reuters photos from an April event at the White House, a May campaign event, in Philadelphia, and at a concert in June 2024. Even after the debate, she was seen wearing them when she attended a ceremony marking the 23rd anniversary of 9/11 attacks. hence, the claim is false.
Moreover, the allegations on candidates that they were using earpieces during the Presidential Debate was not new. Similar allegations were made in 2020 against then-Democratic-candidate Biden. In 2016, similar allegations targeted Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
Claim: Democratic-nominee Kamala Harris was wearing NOVA H1 wireless earpiece during the Sept 10 Presidential Debate.
Conclusion: Misleading. The earrings Harris wore for Sept. 10 debate were from her stock of old jewelry and and not NOVA H1 earpieces as claimed. Also, Icebach Sound Solutions clarified that those earrings are not their NOVA H1 Audio Ear Rings.”
Rating: Misleading — 
