Following yesterday’s Trump-Harris debate, there have been claims on social media that Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris was sporting hidden earphones disguised as pearl earrings, a tech product that doesn’t look like obtainable for buy.
The claims say that Harris was sporting a set of Nova H1 Audio Earrings, created by German startup NOVA Merchandise, in the course of the first presidential debate between the vice chairman and Donald Trump.
There may be so far no proof that Harris was sporting such earrings. Newsweek reached out to the Harris-Walz marketing campaign for remark.
Whereas video footage of the controversy reveals that Harris was sporting pearl earrings, a number of social-media customers have identified their similarity to a pair of Double Pearl Hinged Earrings from Tiffany & Co.
Democratic presidential nominee, Kamala Harris, debates Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump [unseen], at The Nationwide Structure Heart on September 10, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Unsupported claims circulating on social media say the vice chairman was sporting earphones disguised as pearl earrings.
Win McNamee/Getty Photos
An internet seek for the Nova H1 Audio Earrings reveals that they don’t at the moment look like on sale anyplace, and NOVA Merchandise’ web site redirects to a different firm, Icebach Sound Options.
Moreover, backers on crowdfunding website Kickstarter have left messages from over a 12 months in the past asking for supply standing of their bought H1 earrings that supposedly by no means materialized. NOVA Merchandise’ final login to Kickstarter was in Could 2023.
Newsweek reached out to Icebach Sound Options by way of e-mail for remark.
The claims Harris was sporting the gadgets come from social media accounts together with @24ELECTIONS on X, previously Twitter. The account, which has 1.3k followers, claimed: “She is seen sporting an earring developed by Nova Audio Earrings first seen at CES 2023. This earring has audio transmission capabilities and acts as a discreet earpiece.”
One other X accounts, @JonnieKing, shared the declare in a submit that has since been reshared 1.7k occasions throughout the social media platform.
A Reddit group, or subreddit, r/conspiracy, additionally shared this declare with a submit titled “Attention-grabbing”, a hyperlink to the Kickstarter web page, and a side-by-side picture of Kamala Harris and a product picture of Nova H1.
This isn’t the primary time conspiracy theories have circulated about hidden communication gadgets throughout presidential debates. Comparable claims had been made about Hillary Clinton in the course of the 2016 presidential marketing campaign, particularly after a televised discussion board referred to as the Commander-in-Chief Discussion board on September 7, 2016.
Some conservative web sites and social-media customers circulated photographs they stated confirmed Clinton sporting an earpiece throughout this occasion. Reality-checking web sites PolitiFact and Snopes examined and dismissed claims {that a} flesh-colored earpiece might be seen in Clinton’s ear.
There was additionally a declare circulating in the course of the 2020 presidential election marketing campaign that President Joe Biden wore a hidden earpiece throughout a debate. This emerged earlier than the primary presidential debate between Biden and Donald Trump on September 29, 2020. Some conservative media figures alleged that the Democrat used a hidden earpiece to obtain solutions or teaching in the course of the debate.
Nonetheless, there was no proof to assist this. Biden’s marketing campaign strongly denied the declare, calling it “fully absurd.” The Fee on Presidential Debates additionally acknowledged that neither candidate was permitted to put on an earpiece in the course of the debate.
The clip-on Nova H1 Audio Earrings, in keeping with the startup’s Kickstarter web page, “are positioned on the earlobes and challenge the sound from contained in the pearl straight into your ear canal.” It provides that “two tiny high-end microphones are built-in into every Earring offering the consumer with crystal clear cellphone calls and wind-noise cancellation.”
Debuted at CES [Consumer Electronics Show] in Las Vegas, Nevada, in January 2023, these Bluetooth wearables have “directional sound” that enables for privateness. “Any audio output is completely non-public; so you’re the just one listening to your conversations and music,” says the product description on the Kickstarter web page.
Replace 9/11/24 10:50 a.m. ET: This story was up to date with further context and knowledge.