Trump vs. Harris: Where the 2024 presidential candidates stand on the issues

BALTIMORE – Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat, and former President Donald Trump, a Republican, have been campaigning vigorously in the closing months of the historic 2024 presidential election. Now, it’s time for voters to have their say.

Though there are some third-party candidates on the ballot in Maryland, an overwhelming majority of Americans will choose between Harris and Trump, who clash on multiple policies and the best direction of the country.

Here’s a look at where they stand on key issues:

Economy

Harris: She has proposed multiple plans that would provide money for first-time homebuyers, expand tax credits for low-income and middle-class families, ban price gouging, boost the Biden administration’s infrastructure spending and raise taxes on corporations and wealthy Americans.

Trump: He said he would cut taxes in a second term more than he did in his first term, making individual tax cuts permanent and slashing the corporate tax rate to 15%. He also wants to eliminate taxes on tips, overtime pay and Social Security benefits.

Public safety

Trump: He has called for deploying the military to cities run by Democrats to combat crime, he opposes gun restrictions and said he supports reclassifying marijuana for medical use.

Harris: She supports boosting funding for police, decriminalizing marijuana and restricting guns. That includes banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

Abortion

Harris: She supports abortion rights and said she would sign a bill that would enshrine federal protections. She wants to prevent states from passing restrictions before a fetus is viable.

Trump: His Supreme Court picks overturned Roe v. Wade, but he has said he would not sign a federal abortion ban. He supports states passing whatever laws they choose.

Health care

Trump: He has vowed to replace the Affordable Care Act and wants to address opioid addiction by closing the southern border and using military force against Mexican drug cartels.

Harris: She supports the Biden administration’s expanded insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, plans to lower drug prices and have Medicare cover long-term care at home.

Immigration

Harris: She supports restrictions on asylum seekers and wants to address the causes of migration. She backed a bipartisan immigration bill that would have hired thousands of border security agents.

Trump: He said he would launch the largest deportation effort in American history, including detaining in camps the immigrants who enter the country illegally.

Climate

Trump: He has denied climate change and said he would get rid of numerous environmental regulations that would protect clean air and water.

Harris: She supports environmental justice programs, subsidies for renewable energy and has reversed her position on a fracking ban, saying she would no longer ban it.

Education

Harris: She wants to increase funding for public schools and supported the Biden administration’s plan for student-loan forgiveness. She opposes laws that restrict what can be taught about race, history and gender.

Trump: He wants to abolish the Department of Education, give parents financial support for school choice and restrict what schools can teach about race, history and gender. He opposes student-loan forgiveness.

Democracy

Trump: He has not accepted his loss in the 2020 election and has not committed to accepting 2024 results. He opposed voting rights bills from Democrats.

Harris: She has said she will accept the results of the 2024 election and has condemned Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. She has supported efforts to expand voting rights.

Ukraine

Harris: She would continue to send military aid to Ukraine, but she has not shared many foreign policies related to China. She has said it’s important for the U.S. to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty.

Trump: He said he would eliminate the country’s economic dependence on China, but he has not said if he would send more aid to Ukraine. He has claimed without details that he would end the war in a day.

Israel

Trump: He supports Israel but encouraged it to end the war in Gaza. He doesn’t think a two-state solution is possible.

Harris: She supports a two-state solution, Israel’s right to defend itself and has also called for a cease-fire.

———-