Misinformation regarding Vice President Kamala Harris allegedly wearing clip-on audio headphones disguised as pearl earrings during the Tuesday night presidential debate gained traction on social media platforms, particularly among far-right accounts. These false claims, prominently circulated by conspiracy theorist and right-wing activist Laura Loomer, suggested that Harris's earrings were Nova H1 audio earphones, known for their pearl-like design. By Wednesday morning, Loomer's post had garnered over 1.3 million views.
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Contrary to these claims, the Nova H1 earphones bear little resemblance to Harris’s actual earrings. A product review photo of the earphones shows them wrapping around the earlobe, whereas the earrings Harris wore during the debate are simple dangle earrings designed for pierced ears. Specifically, the earrings in question appear to be Tiffany & Co. South Sea Pearl Earrings from the Hardwear collection, which Harris has previously worn at other events, including an August 6 rally in Pennsylvania and a Juneteenth concert at the White House earlier this year.
It is important to note that the use of earpieces is strictly prohibited in presidential debates. According to ABC’s debate rules, no candidate is allowed to bring notes or props onto the stage, which includes earpieces. CBS News reached out to the Harris campaign to address the unfounded rumors.
Following these claims, Google data indicated a surge in searches for terms like “nova h1” and “nova earrings” on Wednesday morning. Nova H1 earphones, promoted on Kickstarter, are described as the world’s first clip-on earphones designed to look like pearls. The technology projects sound directly into the ear canal and comes equipped with high-end microphones. However, these earphones differ significantly from Harris’s traditional pierced earrings.
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This type of misinformation surrounding earpieces in political debates is not new. Similar claims have surfaced in past elections, particularly against Democratic candidates. For example, during a 2020 debate between Trump and Biden, social media was flooded with baseless assertions that Biden wore an earpiece. The Trump campaign even ran Facebook ads amplifying the claim. High-resolution images from the debate, however, revealed that what some mistook for earpiece wires were likely creases in Biden's clothing or accessories like a watch or rosary.
In another instance from 2016, right-wing media outlets falsely accused Hillary Clinton of wearing an earpiece to receive secret communications during an NBC News forum. Fact-checkers thoroughly debunked these allegations.
Interestingly, earpiece rumors have not been confined to accusations against left-leaning politicians. During the 2004 election, internet speculations swirled around then-President George W. Bush, with some suggesting that a rectangular bulge on his back during a debate was evidence of a hidden radio receiver transmitting messages from his strategist, Karl Rove. A spokesperson for the Bush campaign later dismissed the claim, explaining the bulge was likely caused by the suit jacket’s fabric wrinkling.
Hence, the recent claims against Kamala Harris are part of a broader pattern of conspiracy theories regarding the use of earpieces in political debates. Despite their recurring nature, such accusations are consistently debunked upon closer inspection, as seen in the Harris incident, where her earrings were simply elegant jewelry rather than covert audio devices.