Where do Kamala Harris and Donald Trump stand on the issues?
Republican presidential nominee former U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris at separate campaign events in Duluth, Ga., and Aston, Penn., on Oct. 23. Credit: AP
WASHINGTON — The tight presidential race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump presents voters with starkly different choices on a long list of issues.
From the economy to foreign policy, abortion rights to the future of the Affordable Care Act, the two nominees have laid out distinctly different visions of how they would govern.
Harris, the Democratic nominee, has promised a “New Way Forward,” saying in her closing argument address at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday that she would “turn the page on the drama and the conflict, the fear and division,” billing herself as “a new generation of leadership in America.”
Trump, the Republican nominee, has revived his 2016 pledge to “Make America Great Again,” telling an audience at Madison Square Garden last Sunday at his closing argument address that “we will very simply make America affordable again,” and that he would fight detractors whom he described as “the enemy from within.”
The economy has topped poll after poll as the top issue for voters. But several surveys, including Gallup’s recent poll of registered voters, found other key issues for voters include immigration, abortion, the state of U.S. democracy, health care, taxes, national security, gun policy, education and the future of the Supreme Court.
Below are side-by-side comparisons of the candidate's stands that Newsday compiled from the candidates’ statements, campaign materials and news service accounts.
The candidates appear in alphabetical order by their last names.
ECONOMY AND TAXES
DNC Candidate
- Vows to restore the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit
- Supports higher minimum wage and a newborn child tax credit of up to $6,000 per year
- Supports eliminating taxes on tips for service industry workers
- Backs a new wealth tax on those with over $100 million in assets
- Has not addressed whether she would extend and repeal the SALT cap
- Favors raising the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%
GOP Candidate
- Wants to make permanent the 2017 tax cuts that are set to expire at the end of 2025
- Proposes eliminating taxes on Social Security benefits and tipped income
- Plans to cut federal spending on certain programs and agencies
- Said he would allow the SALT cap to expire at the end of 2025
- Would lower tax rate from 21% to 15% for companies manufacturing in the U.S.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
DNC Candidate
- Maintains support for NATO and pledges continued aid to Ukraine
- Supports a two-state solution for Israel and Palestinians
- Backs an approach to avoid completely separating U.S. and Chinese business interests
- Reaffirms U.S. support for Taiwan
GOP Candidate
- Criticizes global alliances, particularly NATO
- Claims he could end Russia-Ukraine war but hasn't provided specific plans
- Supports Israel's fight against Hamas, but urges Israel “to get over with it fast”
- Suggests an approach that would avoid a complete break in U.S.-China relations
- Proposes tariffs of 60% or more on Chinese goods and 20% on other foreign goods
IMMIGRATION
DNC Candidate
- Promises to fight for "strong border security" with an earned pathway to citizenship
- Supports the DREAM Act and comprehensive immigration reform
- Backs the Senate bipartisan border security bill that funds more border agents and judges
- Pledges to address root causes of migration from Central America
GOP Candidate
- Vows to conduct "the largest deportation in American history"
- Promises to reinstate his first-term "Remain in Mexico" program and travel bans
- Wants to end birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants
- Plans to complete the border wall and enhance enforcement measures
ABORTION
DNC Candidate
- Supports abortion rights
- Pledges to sign federal legislation to protect reproductive freedoms nationwide
- Frames abortion as an issue of personal choice and liberty
GOP Candidate
- Takes credit for appointing three Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade
- Supports state-level decision-making on abortion laws
- Seeks to convey a moderate stance while not alienating his conservative base
HEALTH CARE
DNC Candidate
- Supports expanding and strengthening the Affordable Care Act
- Wants to make tax-credit enhancements lowering health care premiums permanent
- Aims to extend seniors’ caps of $35 on insulin and $2,000 on drug spending to all
- Supports Medicare's power to negotiate lower drug prices
GOP Candidate
- Criticizes the Affordable Care Act and has said he has "concepts of a plan" to replace it
- Promises to protect Medicare
- Would order the U.S. government to pay drug companies other countries’ best price
- Proposes taxpayer-funded fertility treatments
CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT
DNC Candidate
- Supports transitioning to a "clean energy economy"
- Backed major climate initiatives in the Inflation Reduction Act
- No longer supports banning fracking, a change from her 2020 campaign position
- Emphasizes job creation in clean energy sectors
GOP Candidate
- Summarizes his energy policy as "Drill, baby, drill"
- Promises to increase domestic oil and gas production
- Plans to roll back environmental regulations and Biden administration climate initiatives
- Expresses skepticism of climate change science and opposes wind energy
EDUCATION
DNC Candidate
- Supports maintaining and expanding the role of the U.S. Department of Education
- Opposes private school vouchers and tax credits that divert funds from public schools
- Wants boosts in federal funding for Title I, special education and Head Start
- Proposes raising teacher salaries by an average of $13,500 to close pay gaps
GOP Candidate
- Says he’ll eliminate the Department of Education and give states control over education
- Supports universal school choice and voucher programs
- Has not addressed teacher pay
- Cuts funding for schools teaching “critical race theory” or “radical gender ideology”
HOUSING
DNC Candidate
- Proposes building 3 million new housing units over 4 years, a 50% increase over current rates
- Supports providing up to $25,000 in down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers
- Wants to expand Low-Income Housing Tax Credits to increase affordable housing construction
- Proposes creating a new tax incentive for builders to construct starter homes for first-time buyers
GOP Candidate
- Proposes to open up portions of federal land for large-scale housing construction
- Wants to eliminate regulations on home construction to reduce costs and speed up building
- Supports lower interest rates to improve housing affordability
- Says deporting millions of undocumented immigrants would reduce housing demand
GUNS AND THE 2nd AMENDMENT
DNC Candidate
- Owns a Glock handgun but supports stricter gun control laws
- Supports a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines
- Backs universal background checks
- Supports “red flag” laws to keep guns away from potentially dangerous individuals
- Proposes executive actions on guns if Congress fails to pass legislation
GOP Candidate
- Supports the Second Amendment, gun-owner rights and opposes stricter gun-control laws
- Vows to terminate “Harris-Biden's attacks on law-abiding gun owners"
- Promises to push for U.S. law to let people to carry concealed weapons across state lines
- Proposes to establish tax credits to subsidize gun purchases and training for teachers
