In the closing weeks of the campaign, Vice President Kamala Harris has portrayed former President Donald Trump as a danger to democracy. She also has warned he will enact policies that will hurt blue-collar workers, women, seniors, and the nation’s health care system and economy. That was her message at eight campaign events that we reviewed from Oct. 18 through Oct. 22.
Singer-songwriter Beyoncé endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president at a campaign rally in Houston on Oct. 25. Social media posts have made the unfounded claim that Beyoncé was paid $10 million for the endorsement. We found no evidence to support the claim, and a Harris campaign official said “it is not true.”
Former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, declined to submit candidate statements for Oregon’s voter information pamphlet, according to the secretary of state and the Oregon Republican Party. But social media posts falsely claim the absence of their statements shows state election officials committed “voter fraud.”
An abundance of evidence indicates the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are remarkably safe and work well to protect against severe disease. But last month, the state of Florida issued updated vaccine guidance advising “against the use” of the shots entirely — even for people who are older and at higher risk of severe disease. Experts say the advice is ill-informed and “illogical.”
To address increased food and grocery prices, Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign has promised to enact a federal ban on price gouging. In an Aug. 16 press release, the campaign vowed to “go after bad actors to bring down Americans’ grocery costs and keep inflation in check.”
Former President Donald Trump has cited more energy production, specifically drilling for oil and natural gas, as the key to bringing down energy prices, and inflation overall. He promises to “cut energy prices in half within 12 months” of taking office.
The Department of Defense issued a standard policy revision in September to existing procedures for the intelligence community. Some social media accounts have misrepresented the language and timing of the update to falsely claim the military has been newly authorized “To Use Lethal Force On Americans!!”
Dominion Voting Systems, which was the target of baseless conspiracy theories after the 2020 election, will be used by 27 states in the 2024 election. But some social media posts falsely claim Gov. Ron DeSantis said Dominion “will NOT operate in the state of Florida.” The Florida Department of State approved the use of Dominion equipment, which will be used in 18 counties.
National Guard troops have been activated during past elections to assist with cybersecurity, processing votes and potential protests. But social media posts have made the unsupported claim that former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has called for the National Guard “at every voting station and ballot counting facility” on Election Day.
Crime statistics compiled by the FBI and other sources show an increase in violent crime, notably murders, in 2020 and a decline since. A revision to the FBI data this year doesn’t change that overall trend, despite claims made on social media and by the Trump campaign to the contrary.