Harris Fact Check: What the VP Gets Wrong in Campaign Speeches as Democratic Nominee

In a remarkable political shift, Vice President Kamala Harris transformed from running mate to presumptive Democratic presidential nominee in just 48 hours after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race on July 21. As Harris quickly secured the backing of Democratic delegates and launched her campaign, several claims from her recent speeches merit scrutiny.

Harris has repeatedly stated that former President Donald Trump “intends to cut Social Security and Medicare,” a claim that contradicts Trump’s own statements and his record in office. During his presidency, Trump did not propose cuts to Social Security retirement benefits, although his administration did suggest reductions to disability programs within Social Security. Since leaving office, Trump has consistently pledged to protect these programs.

“We will not cut one penny from Social Security and Medicare,” Trump declared during a July 20 rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, his first joint appearance with running mate Senator JD Vance. In January 2023, amid Republican discussions about government spending cuts, Trump explicitly warned against touching these programs: “Under no circumstances should Republicans vote to cut a single penny from Medicare or Social Security.”

The vice president has also repeatedly linked Trump to Project 2025, referring to it as “his extreme Project 2025 agenda.” This conservative blueprint for restructuring the federal government spans over 900 pages and has been disavowed by Trump, who described it as “seriously extreme” and claimed, “I don’t know anything about it. I don’t want to know anything about it.”

While more than 100 former Trump administration officials are associated with the project, and it aligns with some of Trump’s priorities like tax cuts, it also proposes radical changes to government agencies that Trump never pursued as president. Project 2025 mentions Trump hundreds of times but does not represent his official platform as Harris suggests.

Harris has also continued claiming that “Donald Trump openly vowed, if reelected, that he will be a dictator on Day 1.” This references Trump’s December comments at a Fox News town hall when host Sean Hannity asked if Trump would promise not to abuse power for retribution. Trump responded, “Except for Day 1,” adding he would focus on closing the border and expanding drilling operations before saying, “After that, I’m not a dictator.” Trump later told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo the comment “was said in jest.”

On manufacturing jobs, Harris misleadingly stated, “Under Donald Trump, America lost tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs.” This claim omits crucial context. By February 2020, the U.S. had actually added 414,000 manufacturing jobs under Trump, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The losses occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 1.3 million manufacturing jobs disappearing in April 2020 alone. While many returned, Trump’s term ended with a net loss of 178,000 manufacturing jobs – a figure entirely attributable to the pandemic’s economic impact.

The Biden-Harris administration has overseen the addition of 762,000 manufacturing jobs since January 2021, as the economy recovered from pandemic disruptions.

Harris’ rapid ascension to presidential candidate came after Biden’s withdrawal following his widely criticized debate performance in late June. “I’m told as of this morning that we have earned the support of enough delegates to secure the Democratic nomination,” Harris announced at a campaign event in Milwaukee on July 23. The Associated Press reports she has secured more than 3,000 delegate commitments, well above the 1,968 needed for nomination.

As Harris steps into her new role, the accuracy of her campaign messaging will likely face increasing scrutiny as Democrats rally around their new standard-bearer in the race against Trump.