Verifying Information from Night Four of the Democratic National Convention
Here's a list of fact checks from our Facts First team, which we'll update throughout the night.
Harris on Supreme Court's executive immunity ruling
In her acceptance speech for the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday, Vice President Kamala Harris discussed the Supreme Court's decision on executive immunity in July and warned about the potential consequences if former President Donald Trump were to get another term.
"Consider the power he would have – especially after the United States Supreme Court recently ruled in his favor, granting him immunity from criminal prosecution," Harris said. "Just imagine Donald Trump with no constraints."
Fact Check:
This needs additional context. The Supreme Court decision last month did not give Trump or former presidents total immunity from criminal prosecution, but it did grant them immunity for many of their actions while in office.
The court ruled that a former president has "absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within their constitutional authority" and is "entitled to at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for all their official acts." However, the court also stated that there is no immunity for unofficial acts.
It's fair for Harris to frame the ruling as an expansion of presidential power, but it did not stop the ongoing criminal prosecutions against Trump or prohibit any future investigations or prosecutions.
A federal investigation into Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election result is back in the hands of a district court judge, who must determine which of Trump's actions were official or unofficial. And a state-level investigation into Trump's election subversion in Georgia is ongoing, although it is currently on hold due to a dispute over the district attorney leading the case.
Before the Supreme Court ruling in May, a state-level prosecution found Trump guilty of felony falsification of business records in New York. The judge is now considering how the Supreme Court ruling applies to that case, in which Trump is awaiting sentencing.
From CNN’s Daniel Dale
Harris on Trump raising prices for families by $4,000 a year
Vice President Kamala Harris claimed during her speech at the Democratic National Convention that former President Donald Trump's proposed policies would increase prices for American families. "He's planning on enacting a national sales tax, which he's calling the 'Trump Tax,' that would increase prices for middle-class families by nearly $4,000 a year," Harris said.
Fact Check:
Harris's statement is reasonable, but it's important to note that she's referring to Trump's proposal to implement new tariffs if he were to return to the presidency.
Trump has suggested implementing a tariff of 10% to 20% on all imports from all countries and another tariff of over 60% on all Chinese imports.
A 20% tariff on all imports, along with a 60% tariff on Chinese imports, would amount to approximately a $3,900 annual tax increase for middle-income families, according to the Center for American Progress Action Fund, a liberal think tank.
If Trump only implemented a 10% tariff, the impact on middle-income families could be $2,500 a year, according to CAP.
Separate studies estimate that Trump's proposed tariffs would raise prices for families, but to a lesser extent. The Peterson Institute for International Economics estimates that the new tariffs would cost the average middle-income family about $1,700 a year. The Tax Policy Center estimates the impact could be $1,350 a year for middle-income families.
From CNN’s Katie Lobosco
Sen. Casey overstates the role of corporations in driving inflation
Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey emphasized Vice President Kamala Harris's recently announced plan to establish anti-price gouging laws to reduce the cost of food during his speech at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, saying, "Prices are up because these corporations are trying to drive them up."
Fact Check:
While corporations have contributed to inflation, Sen. Bob Casey's comment oversimplifies the situation, according to research from two regional Federal Reserve banks.
Research published by the Kansas City Fed and the San Francisco Fed suggests that corporations played a role in inflation, but it was not the main driver. In 2021, corporate profits, which grew as firms raised prices faster than their costs, contributed to more than half of the inflation experienced that year, according to research from the Kansas City Fed. However, by 2022, the rate at which corporations raised prices slowed.
The San Francisco Fed's research also found that corporate price gouging was not a significant factor in the inflation surge in 2021 and 2022.
Ultimately, the inflation Americans have experienced in recent years is the result of a number of factors, including the war in Ukraine, government spending, and pandemic-related disruptions. The unprecedented stress on supply chains during the pandemic contributed significantly to inflation's rise in 2021.
From CNN’s Elisabeth Buchwald
In the context of Vice President Harris's warning about potential consequences if former President Trump were to get another term, politics plays a significant role in shaping the power dynamic between the executive branch and criminal prosecutions.
Furthermore, during her Democratic National Convention speech, Harris mentioned former President Trump's proposed policies, which, if implemented, could potentially increase prices for middle-class families, showing how politics can indirectly impact household budgets through economic policies.
