Photo: Printscreen Sputnik Srbija
September 2024.
As part of the program Regional Initiative for combating disinformation “Western Balkans Combatting disinformation Center: Exposing malicious influences through fact-checking and Analytical Journalism“, we present you a new analysis of fake news and disinformation narratives.
What Kamala Harris tried to hide during the debate with Trump
The first debate between the candidates for the presidency of the United States took place on September 11 in Philadelphia, just under two months before the election. This debate was significant, serving as the candidates’ first official introduction to the public. The key topics discussed included the economy, trade, immigration, abortion, and foreign policy.
During the debate, the wars in the Middle East and the conflict in Ukraine were identified as crucial foreign policy issues. The candidates held very opposing views on this topic. Trump condemned the Biden administration, led by Harris, holding them directly responsible for allowing the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He claimed that, had he been in their position, he could have prevented the initial invasion and the subsequent war. In contrast, Harris pointed out Trump’s affection for Putin and reaffirmed her strong support for Ukraine.
After the debate, an article appeared on the domestic service of the Russian state media outlet Sputnik, stating, “In order to hide her impostor syndrome, she memorized sentences that she hoped would derail Trump.” This characterization portrayed Harris as unqualified and inadequate for the position, suggesting that Trump was the only viable candidate capable of serving as President of the United States.
The election of the next American president will be crucial for the future of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Trump has stated that, if elected, he would shift the focus of international relations toward resolving conflicts in the Middle East while publicly supporting Israel. This would greatly contribute to the victory of Russia and the end of the war. In this context, Russian and pro-Russian media are making concerted efforts to depict Kamala in a negative light, attempting to diminish her influence and popularity.
In a further attempt to portray Harris as incompetent against the candidate, regime media such as Informer carried news such as: “Ads have appeared offering for sale ‘earring headphones’ in the form of earrings, almost identical to Harris’s, which directly alludes to that all the time the vice president of the USA could be heard and that she could listen to the advice and suggestions of people from her campaign.” Such texts, in addition to damaging the reputation of the vice president, aim to distract as much as possible from the real topics of the debate. The two hot-button issues where Trump beat himself were abortion and immigration. During the discussion of these topics, he did not take the opportunity to attack Harris with real arguments. Trump chose to spread disinformation about the behavior of minority groups, saying how they eat pets and condemning the Democrats’ solutions to the problems of the abortion ban. However, the former president did not hope that the presenters would check his words and publicly say that he was telling lies.
Opinions on who won the debate vary widely, often reflecting the viewers’ political beliefs. However, we cannot ignore the strong impact that the election of a new president will have on relations in the Western Balkans. A victory for Kamala Harris would likely mean continued U.S. support for EU efforts focused on stability and democracy, as seen during the Biden administration. Conversely, a Trump victory could lead to a reduction in U.S. involvement in the region, similar to his previous administration. Regardless of the outcome, the implications for the relationship between Serbia and Kosovo will be significant, and we will know the final results on November 5.
Author: Milica Jovanović
