ABC News reporter Martha Raddatz confronted Massachusetts Democratic Governor Maura Healey about false claims made by Vice President Kamala Harris during Tuesday's ABC debate, asking bluntly, “Why would she say that?”
“There hasn't been a single American soldier serving on active duty in a combat zone in any war zone anywhere in the world since the beginning of this century,” Harris argued during the debate.
ABC News' David Muir and Lindsey Davis moderated the first presidential debate between Harris and Donald Trump on Tuesday. Davis and Muir fact-checked Trump multiple times throughout the debate but did not fact-check Harris at all.
“Our fact-checkers have confirmed that that is false,” Raddatz said in an interview Sunday. “We have 900 U.S. troops in Syria right now, 2,500 U.S. troops in Iraq, all of whom have been under constant threat from drones and missiles for months. We also operate in the Red Sea, and on any given day, we have Navy SEALs and Delta Force special forces potentially taking part in deadly raids of all kinds.”
ABC's Martha Raddatz called out Vice President Kamala Harris for claiming during the debate that there are no active-duty US troops in combat zones as false. (Screenshot/ABC)
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“Martha, I think the key here is that Kamala Harris has demonstrated that she is commander in chief, as opposed to Donald Trump. We live in a world where there are all kinds of conflicts, which is why we need someone who is serious about supporting the military,” Healey responded.
Raddatz interjected again, repeating Harris' comments.
“You say she has acted in her capacity as commander in chief, but you don't know about these people in Syria and Iraq? Why do you say that?” Raddatz said.
Healey claimed Donald Trump “supports Vladimir Putin.”
Vice President Kamala Harris during a debate in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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“I think that's really important. Kamala Harris respects our military and she respects our service members. Donald Trump calls them idiots and losers,” Healey said.
Healey was also asked whether Harris should draw a clear line at what restrictions on abortion she would support.
“She already did that, Martha,” Healy said. “What she said was, 'Let's go back to Roe.'”
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In a post-debate interview, ABC's Davis acknowledged that the fact-checking of Trump was inspired by CNN's brutal debate defeat to President Biden in June.
“The mere publication of the statement was enough to make me feel like, [be] That was disputed by then-candidate Biden and the moderators.”
