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Fact check: The Kamala Harris campaign at one point had raised over 1 billion dollars. It finished in debt and for all the money spent failed to gain or maintain ground in almost every demo group for Democrats. I don't know how you classify that as anything other than fiscal incompetence.

Checked on December 28, 2024

1. Summary of the results

1. Summary of the results:

The analyses show that the Harris campaign did raise over $1 billion, with one source citing $1.5 billion in a 15-week period. However, there are conflicting reports about the campaign's debt status - one analysis indicates no outstanding debt, while another cites $20 million in debt. The campaign spent heavily, including $494-600 million on media, $152 million on advertising in September alone, and notable expenses like $450,000 daily on Las Vegas Sphere ads.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints:

  • The original statement omits that the campaign raised record-breaking amounts in a very short time period (15 weeks), which could explain some spending inefficiencies
  • The campaign continued successful fundraising even after the election, raising $6 million in 20 days
  • Campaign spending included innovative but expensive outreach methods like NFL banner ads and digital billboards, representing attempts at new voter engagement strategies
  • Campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon provided a different narrative regarding debt, explicitly stating they would be "without debt that carries forward"
  • The Trump campaign spent significantly less ($392M vs Harris's $1.009B), providing important comparative context

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement:

  • The statement presents fiscal incompetence as the only possible interpretation, ignoring other factors like:

The unprecedented short timeframe of the campaign

The challenging political climate

  • The innovative but expensive nature of modern digital campaigning
  • The claim about "failing in almost every demo group" lacks specific demographic data in the provided analyses
  • The debt claim is contested between sources, suggesting the financial situation might be more complex than presented
  • The statement benefits critics of the Democratic Party's campaign spending strategies and those arguing against big-money politics in general
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