Trump's Lies About Harris in Charlotte

In his first campaign rally since President Biden dropped out of the 2024 race, former President Donald Trump attacked Vice President Kamala Harris, calling her a "radical left lunatic." Trump criticized Harris' policies on immigration, health care, and abortion, making several claims that PolitiFact rated as false or misleading.

Claims and Fact Checks

Claim: "As border czar, Kamala threw open our borders and allowed 20 million illegal aliens to stampede into our country."
Rating: False.
Fact: Biden tasked Harris with addressing the issues driving migration from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. Border security remains the responsibility of the Homeland Security Secretary. While immigration encounters have increased, the border is not "open," with physical barriers, technology, and border patrol agents controlling entry. The number of encounters is also not equivalent to admitted immigrants, and encounters don't account for those expelled or removed.

Claim: "Kamala Harris co-sponsored (Sen.) Bernie Sanders' $32 trillion plan to take over the entire U.S. health system."
Rating: True.
Fact: Harris co-sponsored the Medicare for All Act of 2019, which established a national health insurance program run by the federal government. The bill included eliminating private insurance, except as supplemental coverage. While the bill didn't pass, it reflects Harris' support for a federally run health insurance program, mirroring socialized medicine systems in other countries.

Claim: "When asked if her plan would outlaw private health insurance for 180 million Americans, (Harris) replied, 'Let's just eliminate all of it.'"
Rating: True but misleading.
Fact: Harris' comment "Let's eliminate all of it" was in reference to eliminating delays and paperwork from insurance approvals, not eliminating private insurance. She clarified that her goal was to ensure everyone has access to medical care without the bureaucratic hurdles of the current system.

Claim: "She wants abortions in the eighth and ninth month of pregnancy, that’s fine with her, right up until birth, and even after birth — the execution of a baby."
Rating: False.
Fact: Harris hasn't publicly stated her position on abortion time limits. She has supported abortion rights under Roe v. Wade, which provided access up to fetal viability, typically around 24 weeks. Willfully terminating a newborn's life is infanticide and is illegal. Claims about the Women's Health Protection Act of 2022, which Harris supported, are misleading, as it allowed for abortions after viability only when continuing the pregnancy posed a risk to the pregnant person's life or health.