Trump and Harris' stances on national policy issues

Abortion Rights

A major part of Donald Trump’s platform is the stance that abortion legislation should be left for the states to decide. Trump has recently indicated that he would veto a nation-wide abortion ban, and he has expressed support for state-level abortion restrictions.

Harris is in favor of full access to abortion, as she believes that it is up to women to decide if they wish to have an abortion or not. She was not in favor of the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade, and she believed that the government should not have a say in a woman’s pregnancy.

Gun control

Trump has been a staunch supporter of gun ownership rights, aligning himself with the National Rifle Association and reversing Obama-era policies meant to make it harder to obtain a weapon.

Harris is in favor of the banning of assault weapons and the reinstatement of red flag laws, intended to take guns away from those deemed a danger to themselves or others. She has been a very vocal supporter of the expansion of background checks, as well.

Border Control

Trump is a vocal supporter of a strong, closed border to keep out illegal immigration, but encourages legal immigration and supports constructing a wall between the U.S. and Mexico. A key portion of his initial 2016 election campaign was to create a border wall between the two countries. During his presidency, he built 458 miles of border barriers, both new and replacement.

Harris has stated that the border should be secure, and supports legal immigration and an earned path to citizenship. She has largely been a supporter of migration from El Salvador and Nicaragua, but has expressed an interest in cracking down on fentanyl and illegal trafficking across the southern border. Regardless of this, 2 million people have illegally entered the country since 2021, and she continues to pledge her support for ICE.

Inflation

Trump has been a vocal supporter of increasing tariffs and cutting taxes on tips as a way to lower inflation. However, this has been proven to increase inflation, but Trump pledges to lower inflation regardless.

Harris intends to implement price ceilings on everyday items to prevent price gouging. She is also in favor of a subsidy for first-time homebuyers and a child tax credit for the middle class as ways to help citizens combat inflation.

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Climate Change

Harris and Trump have expressed differing views and plans for action on climate change. In Harris’s view, climate change is an “existential threat” that necessitates urgent action. On the other side Trump said human activity is not necessarily the principal factor contributing to the issue, and in the past, he has denied climate science.

In her role as vice president, Harris was the Senate’s tie-breaking vote to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 40% under their 2005 levels with about $370 billion. While in office, Trump scaled back more than 125 rules and policies aimed at reducing emissions and providing environmental protections. He has argued that regulation suppresses job creation.

In their debate, Harris said she wouldn’t ban fracking, despite past claims that she is against it, though she has also argued for the need to shift to renewable energy. Trump emphasized his support for Big Oil.

Additionally, Trump scaled back almost 100 environmental protection rules and policies for issues such as wildlife protection, toxic substance prevention, oil drilling regulation and air and water quality conservation while in office. Nevertheless, he expressed pride in his efforts to preserve clean air and water at the debate.

On the other hand, the Biden-Harris administration put together a standard for minimizing harmful PFAS chemicals in drinking water and the Environmental Protection Agency finalized stricter standards for air quality and limiting pollution. They also established climate justice investments through the Justice40 Initiative.

dechanam@miamioh.edu

strykoac@miamioh.edu