Deceitful Statements by Politicians in Presidential Debates Influence Voters and Shape Election Outcomes
Lively Lou
Every evening, my living room is lit up by the news, my family and I engrossed in heavy national and geopolitical events. But there's always a highlight – good-natured satire, specifically Saturday Night Live's rendition of the vice presidential and presidential debates.
These good old times have me bursting out in laughter, as the show puts a comedic spin on the political candidates' antics.
However, this year, the satire feels a bit too spot-on. SNL's reenactment of the vice presidential debate blurred the line between reality and farce, as they delivered exact quotes – like when Republican candidate JD Vance declared, "The rules were that you guys weren't going to fact check," to the debate moderators, as reported by CBSNews.
Immigration Claims Skewered
What puzzles me most isn't the satire's accuracy, but rather the misinformation perpetuated by Donald Trump on immigration. The most common claim he makes is that during the Biden and Harris administration, millions of migrants are crossing the border illegally and fit his narrow view of "violent, dangerous criminals."
But the numbers presented in Trump's speeches are way off – according to CNN, he stated during the presidential debate that "21 million people" were crossing the border monthly during Biden's presidency. In reality, there were merely 10 million "encounters" (not even crossings) from February 2021 to July 2024, with both legal points of entry and unmanned areas getting the bulk of the action. He also asserted these people came from harsh institutions in Venezuela and were committing crimes in the U.S. This claim, too, has been disproven by fact-checkers like DW and AFP Fact Check.
As expected, despite numerous fact-checks, it seems the lies are only fueling radical rhetoric – people like me, trying to make a peaceful life in the U.S., get branded as criminals.
The Lash of UntruthsSenior Hana Cleemann '26, an intern at a New York senator's office, shares my concerns regarding misinformation. She sees scapegoating and hatred as the driving forces behind misinformation, stating that "it appeals to constituents who feel socially accepted by outright hatred and discrimination of other groups, showing how politics are just a constant series of in and out groups."
Continuing this theme of distortion, an article by Steve Benen on MSNBC references Springfield, Ohio – a town that has long been the subject of racial and anti-immigrant propaganda. Benen writes, "JD Vance, who represents the city, referred to 'millions of illegal immigrants' and parts of the country that have been 'destroyed by Kamala Harris' open border' – Lies that disregard the truth: The border isn't "open," the vice president isn't responsible for the nation's immigration laws, and Springfield's Haitian immigrants entered legally."
Trump went so far as to suggest that migrants in Springfield were eating the pets of the townspeople – a claim refuted by the City of Springfield and their local police, originating from a bizarre Facebook post.
While this may sound absurd, the consequences for Springfield's migrant community are real – increased hate and racist attention, which detract from their ability to live peacefully.
Justified Abortion False Claims
Opinions on reproductive rights have divided the nation, and the overturning of Roe v. Wade has been a hot topic for politicians ever since. However, the majority of Americans (62%) believe that abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Nevertheless, candidates like Trump and Vance have resorted to fabrications, claiming that Democrats want to make late-term abortions legal.
But the pre-Roe v. Wade standard Abortion limit was a 12 week term limit, which was protected at the national level by the Supreme Court. Trump even claimed that democrats support "execution after birth." – a ridiculous assertion, since this is not only illegal (or proposed by democrats), but highlights an utter disregard for facts and the truth.
Economic Untruths and Inflation
Trump often asserts that the economy thrived under his presidency, arguing that inflation during Biden's term is to blame for the high rates we see now. He declared, "I had no inflation, virtually no inflation." However, this claim is easily debunked – the inflation during Trump's presidency was much higher than what Biden has managed, with cumulative inflation over Trump's term coming in at 7.8%. In contrast, inflation fell within normal ranges (close to 2%) during Biden's presidency.
Shirking Responsibility for January 6th
At the heart of the debates were the events of January 6th, 2021, and who should bear the blame for those dark days. Both Trump and Vance sidestepped any responsibility – citing an unprecedented number of requests for National Guard troops (which, according to them, Pelosi rejected) as a reason for the Capitol's vulnerability. However, it's important to note that Pelosi doesn't have the authority to deploy the National Guard.
The Consequences of Lies:On November 5th, 2024, American citizens will have exercised their right to vote, choosing their new leader through the electoral college. In the most recent presidential debate, there were a staggering 55 false claims, most of them from Donald Trump. These exaggerations and outright lies have influenced voters in key states like Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin – all of which could determine the election's outcome.
Researchers at the University of Colorado, Boulder, explain the problem as such: a significant number of Americans will blindly follow anything a candidate says and vote based on a distorted reality and echo chamber the political parties provide – all without doing research for themselves. This blind trust in untruths can have a detrimental impact on the election and must be challenged to ensure a fair and informed electorate.
- In the realm of editorial opinion, it's concerning to see the misinformation spread by certain politicians, particularly Donald Trump, in regards to immigration.
- For instance, Trump's claim that millions of migrants are crossing the border illegally every month during the Biden and Harris administration is a blatant falsehood, as fact-checkers like CNN and DW have debunked.
- Similarly, during the presidential debates, Trump asserted that Democrats support "execution after birth," which is not only illegal but also a ridiculous misrepresentation of the truth.
- Moving on to economic policy and legislation, Trump falsely claimed to have had "no inflation, virtually no inflation" during his presidency, but this assertion overlooks the higher-than-average inflation rates that occurred during his term.
