FACT CHECK: Facebook Post Makes False Claim About CNN, Recent Presidential Debate

Christine Sellers | Fact Check Reporter

A post shared on Facebook claims CNN’s official fact-checker purportedly said 2024 Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris lied 17 times during the first ten minutes of ABC News’ Sept. 10 presidential debate.

Verdict: False

The claim is false and originates from a satirical Facebook page. A CNN spokesperson denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.

Fact Check:

Senate Republican Whip John Thune said 2024 Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump should agree to participate in a second debate with Harris, according to The Hill. Thune’s comment follows a TRUTH Social post from Trump stating he would not do another debate with Harris, CNBC reported.

The Facebook post claims CNN’s official fact-checker purportedly said Harris lied 17 times during the first 10 minutes of ABC News’ Sept. 10 presidential debate. “CNN’s official fact-checker says Kamala lied 17 times in the first ten minutes,” the post reads, before adding a supposed quote from the fact-checker stating, “It would be easier to count truths.”

The claim is false, as the quote is neither referenced on CNN’s website nor on its verified social media accounts. Likewise, Check Your Fact conducted a keyword search and found the claim referenced on the “America – Love It Or Leave It” Facebook page. The page, which describes itself as “satire/parody,” is a “subsidiary of the America’s Last Line of Defense [or ALLOD] network of trollery.” “Nothing on this page is real,” the description continues. The post itself also bears a satire label. (RELATED: Fact-Checking The First Debate Between Donald Trump And Kamala Harris)

Additionally, Harris has not publicly commented on the claim via her 2024 campaign website or her verified social media accounts.

Check Your Fact also found no credible news reports to support the claim. In fact, the opposite is true. On Sept. 12, Lead Stories reported the claim was false, tracing its origin to the same satirical Facebook page.

Furthermore, a CNN spokesperson denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.

“CNN did not report this. This social media post is fabricated,” the same spokesperson said.

Christine Sellers

Fact Check Reporter

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