The fierce US presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris, and former President Donald Trump took social media by storm, generating responses of all kinds ranging from netizens to Taylor Swift and Elon Musk. The debate attracted 67.1 million television viewers, according to Nielsen data.
What followed, is a conspiracy theory, mostly by Trump supporters, who claimed that Kamala Harris had clip-on audio headphones on her throughout the debate, under the guise of her pearl earrings. There were speculations that her earrings were actually Icebach Sound Solutions' Nova H1 Audio Earrings, a Bluetooth device designed to look like jewellery.
In a statement fuelling the speculation, Icebach's managing director, Malte Iversen, reportedly said to tech outlet Tom's Guide, "We do not know whether Mrs Harris wore one of our products. The resemblance is striking." He also humorously offered to create a male version of the device for Trump, suggesting that the colour orange posed a design challenge.
Despite the viral claims, experts and fact-checkers have pointed out that Harris's actual earrings are the Double Pearl Hinged Earrings from Tiffany & Co. which retail for approximately $800. These earrings bear little resemblance to Icebach's Bluetooth devices, which are priced at 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 ongoing speculation surrounding her jewellery highlights the heightened scrutiny and mistrust that often accompany political debates.
Similar conspiracy theories were spotted on social media during the 2020 and 2016 election cycles which claimed that Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton were using earpieces during their debates against Trump.
As reported by the New York Post, Icebach Sound Solutions has also announced plans to address the rumours during an upcoming appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon." The company stated on its website that it has received numerous interview requests since the debate and chose Fallon as a "trusted Bavarian in heart" for a live interview.
However, it looks like Donald Trump might not need this offer of similar earpieces as he has already refused to have another debate with Kamala Harris. "THERE WILL BE NO THIRD DEBATE!" the former president wrote on the social media site Truth Social.
