Denver7 Investigates fact-checks statements made during Trump-Harris debate

Denver7 Investigates dug into comments made by Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump during their presidential debate.

The team selected six statements to examine — three made by each candidate.

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Inherited unemployment

Harris attacked the unemployment numbers she and President Joe Biden inherited in January 2021 when Trump left office, saying they were the highest since the Great Depression in the late 1920s and early 1930s.

While unemployment numbers were high during the COVID-19 pandemic, records show that unemployment was at 6.4% in January 2021. Those were near numbers seen during the Great Recession, which started in late 2007, but not the Great Depression.

Fact check: False

Immigration claims

Trump referenced criminals immigrating to the U.S., including from prisons, jails and mental institutions.

Records show immigration officials have arrested more than 100,000 non-citizens with criminal convictions in the U.S. and other countries over the past three years. But there is no support for claims Trump made about mental institutions.

Fact check: False, lacks support

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Economy

Trump worked to amplify what many polls say is the No. 1 issue of voters: Inflation and the economy. At one point, Trump said inflation was at record levels and was up 21%.

The Consumer Price Index, which measures the changes in prices of goods and services, peaked at 9% in 2022, but records show it was higher in the 1970s and 80s.

Fact Check: False

Firearms

Harris went on the defense regarding her stance on firearms. She stated that she and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, are both gun owners and she has no plans to take away people’s guns.

For context, Harris did support a mandatory buyback for assault weapons several years ago, but there’s no evidence she ever called for the confiscation of all guns. Her campaign has said she no longer supports that mandatory buyback program.

Fact Check: True

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Project 2025

When Project 2025, a 900-page document authored by the conservative Heritage Foundation that proposes, among other things, limiting reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights, Trump continued to distance himself from the plan. Trump said he has nothing to do with the plan and has not read it and does not plan to.

There is no link showing Trump authored any part of the plan. However, some of the authors are known Trump allies.

Fact check: True

Manufacturing jobs

While listing some of the Biden administration’s accomplishments, Harris noted the addition of 800,000 manufacturing jobs.

While federal statistics show the creation of roughly 789,000 manufacturing jobs since January 2021, that number is up only about 175,000 from February 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Fact check: True, but needs context

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