By: Yade Teron-Medina
Carrollton, GA- There is a little over a week left in this election, and as you vote and use your voice, it is essential to know what each candidate represents.
Regarding inflation, Harris has vowed to prioritize middle-class families by reducing house and food costs and has stated she will end price gouging on groceries and help first-time home buyers.
Former President Trump has said he will make America affordable again by promising to mine for oil to achieve lower energy costs.
This came with a price to lowering interest rates, which is slightly out of his range of political power, though he likely intends to work with Congress for a solution, just as Harris has also stated she will do.
On the subject of immigration, Harris has promised to attempt to find a humanitarian solution that will give migrants fleeing unsafe conditions a way to enter the country legally.
Trump has promised to close the border down for good and has urged his fellow Republicans to disavow any attempts at a humanitarian two-party bill on immigration.
He then promised the biggest mass deportation of undocumented immigrants in US history.
Harris’s views on foreign policy are her assurance that if elected, the US will win “the competition for the 21st century” over China.
She is also an avid supporter of a possible two-state solution in Gaza that will have Palestine and Israel end their war peacefully.
Trump would instate an isolationist foreign policy, as he has mentioned on various occasions, and he wants the US to free itself from relationships with foreign nations that do not help strengthen the country.
He has shown outright support for Israel’s victory in the war, though has no policy or decision on assistance in ending the war as of this article’s writing.
Trade is one of the areas in which these two candidates disagree the most.
Harris has criticized Trump’s plan to impose tariffs on imports, which she views as a national tax on working middle-class families, saying it could cost each household nearly $4,000 a year.
She is believed to be maintaining the previously established tariffs of the Biden-Harris administration, particularly the ones related to Chinese imports.
Trump has proposed almost 20% tariffs on foreign goods, specifically those originating in China.
He has also proposed a lower rate of corporate tax to encourage companies to stay in the US while manufacturing their goods.
When it comes to marijuana regulation and personal use, each candidate’s opinion is generally similar.
Harris differs as she has focused on the aspects of overcriminalization of Black and Latino men due to marijuana arrests, calling for its decriminalization.
Trump has focused on a more general version of that, asking to end “needless arrests and incarcerations” of adults for personal marijuana use.
Regarding Law and Order, each candidate is focused on something different.
Harris’s experience as a prosecutor has led her to pair her legal experience with the charges the Former President has allegedly committed.
Trump has stated his intent to eradicate gang violence and has said he would focus his efforts on rebuilding cities he views as crime-ridden.
He also aims to use the military to launch attacks on an opponent that he refers to as “the enemy within” and “radical left lunatics”
The Second Amendment debate has been a large part of the election.
Harris has advocated for air-tight laws, along with fellow gun owner and running mate Tim Walz, pledging to do their best to prevent gun violence. They intend to impose strict background checks to determine who can purchase a firearm.
Trump has vehemently defended the Second Amendment throughout his career, including this election.
Regarding healthcare, the administration in the White House, while Harris has been in office, has lowered prescription drug expenses and capped insulin prices at $35.
Trump has vowed to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, stating he will replace it with something better, which has not been named as of the writing of this article.
Abortion is a central message of Vice President Harris’ campaign, and she has always stated she is in complete defense of a woman’s autonomy from the government.
Former President Trump does not have any main talking points in his campaign about abortion. However, three judges he appointed to the Supreme Court were essential in overturning Roe v. Wade.
Taxes have been the main focal point of each candidate’s campaign:
Harris has stated she would raise taxes on big businesses, making $400,000 a year.
The second aspect of that plan is ensuring a tax cut for middle-class families while expanding child tax credits.
Trump has voiced interest in tax cuts, which most have seen as an extension of the cuts he introduced in 2017.
Each candidate has their ways of seeing the future of this country. Still, it is up to those with a voice to vote and make sure that you are living in a country where your commander-in-chief represents not the views of others but what is in your best interest as a citizen of this country.
Get out there and vote for what you want your future to look like.
