Right-wing influencer falsely claims Kamala Harris wore an earpiece during the debate

False claims that Vice President Kamala Harris wore clip-on audio headphones disguised as pearl earrings circulated on social media after Tuesday night's presidential debate. Prominent accounts on X and other platforms, including conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, spread the rumor that Harris’s earrings were actually Nova H1 audio earphones, designed to look like pearls. Loomer’s post garnered over 1.3 million views by Wednesday morning.

However, a comparison reveals that the Nova H1 earphones, which wrap around the earlobe, differ significantly from Harris’s dangling pearl earrings, which are intended for pierced earlobes. Harris’s earrings appear to be Tiffany & Co. South Sea Pearl Earrings from the Hardwear collection, which she has worn at previous events, including an August 6 rally in Pennsylvania and a White House Juneteenth concert.

Earpieces are prohibited in presidential debates. In the recent ABC debate, candidates were barred from bringing notes or props on stage. CBS News reached out to the Harris campaign regarding the claims.

Searches for "Nova H1" and "Nova earrings" surged on Wednesday morning. The Nova H1 earphones, promoted on Kickstarter as "the first clip-on earphones on the planet," are advertised as having technology embedded in real pearls to project sound into the ear canal through integrated microphones.

**A History of Earpiece Claims**

The allegation that a debate participant was wearing an earpiece has surfaced repeatedly in past elections. During the June debate between President Biden and Donald Trump, social media users, without evidence, claimed Biden was using an earpiece. Similarly, in 2020, Trump’s campaign ran Facebook ads accusing Biden of wearing an earpiece during the September debate. The Biden campaign dismissed these claims, and high-quality images from the debate suggested the alleged wires were likely just creases in his clothing or a watch.

In 2016, True Pundit and other conspiracy sites falsely accused Hillary Clinton of wearing an earpiece for “stealth communications” during an NBC News forum. Fact-checkers debunked these claims.

The issue is not exclusive to right-wing conspiracies. In 2004, rumors circulated that a bulge on then-President George W. Bush’s shoulder was a radio receiver for strategist Karl Rove. A campaign spokesperson later explained it was likely a rumple in his suit jacket or a wrinkle in the fabric.

Nova H1 Audio Earrings

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