With the presidency and the future of the country at stake, understanding where the 2024 presidential candidates stand on key issues is imperative for making an informed decision. Here’s a comparative overview of Donald Trump’s (R) and Kamala Harris’ (D) positions on major policy areas so you’re clear when you fill out your ballot this November.
| Kamala Harris | Donald Trump | |
| Campaign Focus | Generally a continuation of current Democratic policies. New proposals include price gouging prevention, tax cuts for families, and reducing medical debt. She also advocates for abolishing taxes on service industry tips, a position recently echoed by Trump. | Aims to accomplish more goals from his first term, including tax cuts and deregulation. |
| Abortion | Supports federal legislation to guarantee abortion access and opposes any national bans. | Supports leaving abortion decisions to states. As of right now he opposed a national ban, however he supports stricter legislation and potentially limited access to abortion pills. |
| Climate/Energy | Supports the Green New Deal, incentives for clean energy, and advocates for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Harris plans on continuing the Biden administration’s climate efforts, including cutting emissions by 50% by 2030, scaling up carbon removal, and tackling super pollutants. | Advocates for increased oil drilling, tax breaks for fossil fuels, and rolling back Biden’s climate policies. Trump also plans to exit the Paris Climate Accords and remove energy efficiency regulations. |
| Federal Government | Opposes “Project 2025” and aims to protect civil servants from “Schedule F,” which would reclassify federal employees involved in policy-making and confidential tasks into a new category of federal workers who could then be hired and fired more easily. Harris supports maintaining current federal employee protections. | Supports “Project 2025” objectives, including reissuing “Schedule F” to ease hiring and firing of federal workers and eliminating the Department of Education. |
| Immigration | Supports comprehensive immigration reform, including pathways to citizenship and addressing root causes of migration. Opposes family separation or any severe border control policies. | In line with his “build that wall” 2020 campaign, Trump promises large-scale deportations, reinstating restrictive policies, and expanding travel bans. Seeks to end birthright citizenship and increase ideological screening. |
| LGBTQ+ Issues | Strongly supports LGBTQ+ rights, including protections against discrimination, and supports reversing Trump-era policies. | Opposes expanding transgender rights, including transgender women in sports and gender-affirming care for minors. |
| Tariffs/Trade | Likely to maintain or slightly adjust Biden’s trade policies, including some protectionist measures to make sure tariff increases wouldn’t raise prices exorbitantly for consumers. Harris opposes broad tariffs but supports targeted tariffs against specific mass-producing countries that are large overseas competitors, like China. | Proposes a 10%-66% “Trump Tax” across-the-board tariff on imports, particularly targeting China and Europe. Aims to increase U.S. manufacturing and reduce reliance on Chinese goods. |
| Housing | Advocates for affordable housing expansion, reducing homelessness, and supports legislation for tax credits and substantial investment in housing. | Proposes lowering housing costs by promoting new construction in cheaper areas and removing restrictive housing regulations. |
| Social Security | Supports raising taxes on the wealthy to fund Social Security and expanding Medicare benefits. No benefit cuts proposed. | Trump’s position on this is a bit unclear; he previously stated he wouldn’t cut benefits but has not provided a detailed plan for Social Security’s long-term solvency. |
| Education | Supports universal pre-K, debt-free college, and increased teacher pay. She also advocates for funding historically Black colleges. | Wants to reduce the role of the Department of Education, supports school choice, and has criticized the current education system’s approach. |
| Student Loan Debt | Supports substantial student debt relief and income-based repayment options. | Opposes widespread debt forgiveness. |
| Foreign Policy | China: Strong stance against Chinese aggressive behavior; supports restricting technology exports and advocating for dialogue with China. Israel/Gaza: Supports Israel’s right to defend itself but calls for humanitarian aid and a cease-fire in Gaza. NATO/U.S. Alliances: Strong support for NATO and international alliances. Ukraine: Supports ongoing military aid to Ukraine and building international support against Russian aggression. | China: Proposes tariffs up to 66% from the previous 11% on Chinese goods. He also plans on doubling down on security cybersecurity measures in relation to China, as seen in his efforts to get the popular social media app TikTok banned back in 2020. Israel/Gaza: Criticizes Biden’s diplomatic approach and advocates for a quick end to the conflict. NATO/U.S. Alliances: Skeptical of NATO and international commitments; criticizes their costs and effectiveness. Ukraine: Promises to end the war quickly and has suggested that aid to Ukraine should be a loan rather than a gift. |
