Donald Trump’s supporters accused his opponent Kamala Harris of wearing earrings with a Nova H1 speaker at the September 10 debate Newsweek I found out that they don’t actually exist.
Many people on social media spread the idea that Harris’ earrings had built-in acoustic speakers. In search of a specific model of such a device, they claimed that Harris was using Nova H1 audio earrings.
Allegedly, the earrings emit a directional sound that only the wearer can hear. On the page of this model in Kickstarter It is said that the earrings are placed on the earlobes and direct the sound from inside the pearl directly into the ear canal. They really do seem to be somewhat similar on Harris earrings, but they are not the same (second image below). Fashion bloggers have already recognized a pair of Tiffany earrings (third image) that Harris wore at the debate and previous events, and also noted that she wore a chain from the same collection.
The main flaw of the conspiracy theory about the earrings is that Nova H1 Audio Earrings practically do not exist in reality. The device was part of a Kickstarter project that has since disappeared from»’s radar. They are not available for purchase online, and never have been. Nova Products, the company behind the project, hasn’t been on Kickstarter since May 2023. Backers posted a message on the page asking for an update on the status of the earrings they were supposed to receive in exchange for their pledge.
Link to Nova Productslisted on Kickstarter redirects to another company’s website, Icebach Sound Solutions. On this site, you can find audio earrings with a slightly different design. After the debate, the company decided to «hype» on the topic: it announces that a «special edition for the presidential debate will soon be available to all». The message was added to the site sometime between 7 a.m. and 11:25 a.m. EST, according to The Wayback Machine. Later, a link to CES 2025 appeared on the page.
The Icebach and Nova websites show that the domains are registered to Stefan Behrendsen of BBG Entertainment GmbH, a mobile game developer based in Germany. What the company has to do with audio products or the US presidential election remains a mystery, but Engadget reached out to BBG as well as Harris’ campaign organizers for comment.
«We do not know if Mrs. Harris was wearing any of our products. The resemblance is exceptional, and although our product was not specifically designed for use during the presidential debate, it fits the bill,» said Malte Iversen, CEO of Icebach Sound Solutions.
The company’s statement seems to be an attempt to capitalize on the hype: «To ensure a level playing field for both candidates, we are currently developing a male version and will soon be able to offer it to the Trump campaign».
So, in fact, Harris was wearing earrings that are similar but different compared to the model that was not produced. The new model also has a slightly different design, and fashion fans have identified the US Vice President’s charm as Tiffany.
Engadget notes that this is not the first time that Republicans have accused opponents of their own presidential candidates of using technical means to give them an advantage in debates. Similar accusations were made against Joe Biden in 2020, Hillary Clinton in 2016, and Barack Obama in 2012. Each time, this theory was debunked by researchers. The site says that, in contrast, Democrats have never made such accusations.