In the aftermath of Tuesday night’s presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, a conspiracy theory has rapidly spread across social media platforms.
A viral claim on social media says Harris used hidden technology to cheat during the debate — and there was photographic evidence.
The theory, primarily circulated by right-wing accounts and Trump supporters, alleges that Harris wore smart earrings containing a hidden Bluetooth device, allowing her to receive coaching from unseen aides during the ABC News forum in Philadelphia. This would be a clear violation of the debate rules set by the network.
At the center of the controversy are the pearl earrings worn by Harris during the debate.
Conservatives claim these are actually NOVA H1 Audio Earrings, a product developed by German startup NOVA Products.
According to the company’s Kickstarter page, these earrings are “the first and only wireless earphones embedded in a pair of pearl earrings on a gold- or silver-plated clip.”
Social media users have shared side-by-side comparisons of Harris’s earrings and the NOVA product, pointing out visual similarities.
The NOVA H1 Audio Earrings, priced at about $625, are designed to “project sound from inside the pearl straight into your ear canal,” their Kickstarter page said.
Take a look at the wild claims that quickly went viral —
LATE BREAKING: Rumors beginning to emerge that Kamala Harris wore similar WIRELESS earbud earrings during the debate..
DEVELOPING.. pic.twitter.com/6ZDFtDCjtm
— Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) September 11, 2024
🚨🚨KAMALA HARRIS EXPOSED FOR WEARING EARPIECE IN DEBATE *PROOF
She is seen wearing an earring developed by Nova Audio Earrings first seen at CES 2023.
This earring has audio transmission capabilities and acts as a discreet earpiece.
Kamala Harris confirms claims that a… pic.twitter.com/1y60rUdJT0
— ELECTION2024 🇺🇸 (@24ELECTIONS) September 11, 2024
At the debate against Trump, Kamala Harris made quite the statement with her choice of earrings. Those look a lot like Nova Audio earrings. 🤔 pic.twitter.com/s1hq5wzIs5
— 🇺🇸 Larry 🇺🇸 (@LarryDJonesJr) September 11, 2024
Kamala Harris seemed extremely scripted tonight.
Her earring choice was also interesting 🤔 pic.twitter.com/HmGe9lagsC
— Sophie Louise Delquié (@SophieDelquie) September 11, 2024
Other users have dismissed the claims that Harris was caught cheating, and claimed the vice president was instead wearing a pair of Double Pearl Hinged Earrings from Tiffany & Co., a style she has been seen wearing frequently in the past.
Take a look and decide for yourself —
kamala harris was not wearing earphone earrings during the debate. she was wearing $800 tiffany & co pearls.
instead of pushing conspiracies how about we point out that most americans would kill for $800 in their savings, not on their ears, and she’s out of touch that way. pic.twitter.com/rzDZ841rSY
— chad, american cutie (@endofanerajc) September 11, 2024
The Harris campaign has not directly addressed the conspiracy theory, but it’s worth noting that similar claims have surfaced in previous election cycles.
In both 2016 and 2020, conspiracy theories circulated alleging that Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, respectively, used hidden earpieces during their debates with Trump.
Both campaigns strongly denied these allegations at the time.
Adding fuel to the speculation, Trump himself suggested in a post-debate interview on “Fox & Friends” that Harris might have had advance knowledge of the debate topics.
“They had a rigged show with somebody that maybe even had the answers,” he said about Harris’ strong performance.
It’s important to note that no concrete evidence has been presented to support these claims, and they remain unverified allegations.