The heated debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump took social media by storm, with reactions pouring in from netizens to Taylor Swift and Elon Musk. According to Nielsen data, the debate was watched by 67.1 million television viewers.
Following this, a conspiracy theory emerged, spread mostly by Trump supporters, who claimed that Kamala Harris was wearing clip-on audio headphones under the guise of her pearl earrings during the debate. There was speculation that her earrings were actually Iceback Sound Solutions’ Nova H1 audio earrings, a Bluetooth device designed to look like jewellery.
Fuelling the speculation, Iceback’s managing director Malte Iversen reportedly told tech outlet Tom’s Guide, “We don’t know if Mrs Harris was wearing one of our products. The resemblance is uncanny.” He also jokingly offered to make a male version of the device for Trump, suggesting that the orange colour posed a design challenge.
??Kamala Harris exposed for wearing earpiece in debate *Proof
She is seen wearing an earring developed by Nova Audio Earrings, which was first seen at CES 2023.
This earring has audio transmission capabilities and acts as a discreet earpiece.
Kamala Harris confirms claim that… pic.twitter.com/1y60rUdJT0
— ELECTION2024 ?? (@24elections) September 11, 2024
Despite the viral claims, experts and fact-checkers have pointed out that Harris’s actual earrings are Tiffany & Co.’s Double Pearl Hinged Earrings, which retail for around $800. These earrings bear little resemblance to Iceback’s Bluetooth device, which costs around $625.
Harris has previously criticized the use of Bluetooth earpieces as a security risk and has been seen using wired earbuds during her campaign. The speculation about her jewelry highlights the increased scrutiny and mistrust that often accompanies political debates.
Similar conspiracy theories were seen on social media during the 2020 and 2016 election cycles, claiming that Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton were using earpieces during their debates against Trump.
Iceback Sound Solutions has also announced plans to address the rumors during an upcoming appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” reports the New York Post. The company said on its website that it has received numerous interview requests since the debate and chose Fallon, a “confidant Bavarian at heart,” for the live interview.
However, it seems Donald Trump might not need such an earpiece as he has already refused to have another debate with Kamala Harris. The former president wrote on the social media site Truth Social, “There will be no third debate!”
