With the US presidential elections less than a month away, it’s vital to know where candidates stand on topics of importance, both domestically and internationally. All information is taken from candidate websites.
Immigration
Harris:
The Harris campaign website focuses on the smuggling of drugs and guns, and human trafficking across the U.S.-Mexican border. Harris said she plans to bring back a bipartisan bill that was killed under the Trump administration that “would have deployed more detection technology to intercept fentanyl and other drugs and added 1,500 border security agents to protect our border,” and sign it into law. “At the same time, she knows that our immigration system is broken and needs comprehensive reform that includes strong border security and an earned pathway to citizenship.”
Trump:
Chapter two of the official platform document for the Trump campaign, “2024 GOP Platform Make America Great Again,” lists six ways in which the Trump administration plans to handle immigration. These plans include building a border wall, invoking stronger laws on immigration such as bringing back Trump-era travel bans, and the largest deportation in American history. “Republicans will use existing Federal Law to keep foreign Christian-hating Communists, Marxists, and Socialists out of America. Those who join our Country must love our Country,” The document also states that they will use extreme vetting to keep out muslims and those who allegedly sympathize with an Islamic state, using what is commonly considered to be an Islamaphobic slur. He also puts a focus on putting American workers first.
Education
Harris:
Harris’s website states that under her presidency, she would fight for affordable, high quality childcare and preschool, strengthen public education and training and “continue working to end the unreasonable burden of student loan debt and fight to make higher education more affordable, so that college can be a ticket to the middle class.”
Trump:
Trump’s GOP platform document states that the Trump administration will better K-12 education by ending teacher tenure and adopting Merit pay, supporting homeschooling families, pushing for project-based learning, advocating for immediate suspension of any violent child, enforcing parental rights, ensuring “children are taught fundamentals like Reading, History, Science, and Math, not Leftwing propaganda,” promoting love of one’s country by reinstating “the 1776 Commission, promote Fair and Patriotic Civics Education, and veto efforts to nationalize Civics Education,” enforcing the right to read the bible and pray in class and returning the control of education to the states.
Economy
Harris:
Harris is running on a campaign of boosting middle class families. She plans to do this by making house ownership more affordable by providing up to $25,000 for first time buyers to help with a downpayment, cutting taxes for middle class families, bringing down the cost of healthcare and childcare, supporting American innovation, workers and small businesses and lowering energy costs.
Trump:
The Trump campaign plans to “Build the greatest economy in history,” according to chapter seven of their campaign plan document. To do this, Trump plans to cut regulations that “stifle jobs,” make Trump tax cuts permanent and stop taxes for tips, make fair trade deals, focus on low-cost energy such as oil, natural gas and coal, defend the right to mine crypto, “repeal Joe Biden’s dangerous Executive Order that hinders AI Innovation,” and have the United States create “a robust Manufacturing Industry in Near Earth Orbit, send American Astronauts back to the Moon, and onward to Mars, and enhance partnerships with the rapidly expanding Commercial Space sector to revolutionize our ability to access, live in, and develop assets in Space.”
Abortion Rights
Harris:
Harris’s website says, “Vice President Harris and Governor Walz trust women to make decisions about their own bodies, and not have the government tell them what to do,” she said she will not allow the federal government to pass a nationwide abortion-ban.
Trump:
The Trump administration will oppose late-term abortion, and support policies that care for mothers, prenatal care and IVF.
Transgender Rights
Harris:
The Harris campaign page does not list policy on transgender issues.
Trump:
Trump’s campaign states that it will keep men out of women’s sports, stop taxpayer dollars from paying for sex-change surgeries and stop schools from promoting gender transition.
