Following a debate performance widely criticized as a failure, former President Donald Trump and his supporters have attempted to deflect attention by circulating conspiracy theories about a “rigged” event, launching misogynistic attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris, and making unfounded claims about her earrings.
Shortly after the debate concluded, a new conspiracy theory surfaced on social media, focusing not on the debate’s substance but rather on the earrings worn by Harris. A prominent pro-Trump account on X, which boasts over half a million followers, claimed that Harris was being coached through earphones hidden in her earrings during the debate against Trump. Another significant pro-Trump account echoed this theory while the debate was still in progress, and that post has been viewed more than five million times.
This conspiracy gained traction by linking Harris’s earrings to a product known as “NOVA H1 Audio Earrings,” which are marketed as wireless earphones embedded in pearl earrings.
On Tuesday night, as Trump supporters sought to rationalize his lackluster performance, numerous pro-Trump accounts and supporters amplified the conspiracy, including Laura Loomer, a previously unsuccessful congressional candidate who accompanied Trump to the debate.
During the debate, Harris effectively targeted Trump’s vulnerabilities, addressing issues such as the size of his rally crowds and his inherited wealth, prompting an irate response from the former president, who resorted to misleading statements and falsehoods.
Trump’s responses were riddled with disinformation, containing inaccuracies about abortion, elections, and the Capitol riots. He also promoted an unfounded conspiracy theory about illegal Haitian immigrants allegedly eating pets in Springfield, Ohio. “They’re eating the dogs. They’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there,” Trump asserted, reiterating a baseless claim that has gained traction on social media and has been backed by vice presidential candidate and Ohio Senator JD Vance.