Choosing between Harris or Trump depends on your personal priorities, values, and the policies that matter most to you. Kamala Harris, as the Democratic vice president under Biden, typically supports progressive policies, such as expanding access to healthcare, addressing climate change, and promoting social justice. Donald Trump, representing the Republican Party, emphasizes conservative values, a focus on deregulation, tax cuts, and stricter immigration policies. Let’s look at more detailed comparison across key areas:
1. Economic Policy and Vision:
- Kamala Harris (Democratic Perspective):
- Wealth Redistribution: Harris, like many Democrats, supports progressive taxation, meaning the wealthy and corporations should pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes. This revenue would be used to fund public programs like healthcare, education, and infrastructure.
- Minimum Wage Increase: Harris supports increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour, which she argues would reduce income inequality and lift many Americans out of poverty. She believes this is critical for creating a fairer economy.
- Social Safety Net: Harris strongly supports expanding the social safety net, including food assistance, unemployment benefits, and housing support. She views these programs as essential for helping working-class families and reducing poverty.
- Investing in the Green Economy: Harris, alongside Biden, has proposed major investments in green infrastructure—renewable energy, electric vehicles, and energy-efficient buildings—as a way to create jobs and combat climate change. This is part of their vision for an economic transition toward sustainability.
- Donald Trump (Republican Perspective):
- Tax Cuts for Businesses and Individuals: Trump’s signature economic policy is the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which significantly reduced corporate tax rates (from 35% to 21%) and provided tax relief for individuals. He believes that reducing taxes spurs business investment, job creation, and economic growth.
- Free Market Capitalism: Trump advocates for free-market principles, where businesses are less regulated, and the government plays a minimal role in the economy. He sees regulation as a hindrance to innovation and growth.
- Deregulation: Trump’s administration focused on cutting regulations, especially in sectors like energy (oil and gas), banking, and healthcare. He believes deregulation boosts economic efficiency and reduces costs for consumers.
- America First Trade Policies: Trump is a firm believer in protecting U.S. jobs by renegotiating trade deals. His tariffs on goods from China and other countries were meant to level the playing field and bring manufacturing back to the U.S. Critics argue this led to trade wars that hurt some sectors, while supporters say it protected American industries.
2. Healthcare Policy:
- Kamala Harris:
- Public Option and Universal Healthcare Goals: While Harris originally supported “Medicare for All,” she has since aligned with Biden’s plan for a public option, a government-run health insurance plan that would compete with private insurers. This would give every American the option to buy into a government-backed plan, while still allowing private insurance to exist. Over time, Harris and other Democrats see this as a step toward more universal healthcare.
- Lowering Prescription Drug Costs: Harris has proposed measures to reduce prescription drug prices, including allowing Medicare to negotiate prices with drug companies. She supports price controls to prevent pharmaceutical companies from excessively raising prices.
- Women’s Reproductive Health: Harris is a staunch advocate of reproductive rights, including access to abortion, contraception, and comprehensive reproductive healthcare. She opposes the many restrictions that Republican-led states have passed to limit access to these services.
- Donald Trump:
- Repeal of Obamacare: Trump has long promised to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). While the repeal never fully happened, Trump did manage to remove the individual mandate(the penalty for not having health insurance), and his administration took other steps to weaken the law.
- Focus on Private Healthcare: Trump’s healthcare vision centers around private healthcare solutions, believing that competition in the private sector leads to better quality care at lower costs. He opposes expanding government-run healthcare programs, arguing that this reduces choice and innovation.
- Pharmaceutical Price Control: Trump has pushed for lower drug prices by promoting competition in the pharmaceutical industry. His administration passed executive orders aimed at reducing prices, including an initiative to link Medicare drug prices to lower prices paid in other countries.
3. Climate Change and Environmental Policies:
- Kamala Harris:
- Aggressive Climate Action: Harris believes that climate change is an existential threat and advocates for bold action. She supports the U.S. rejoining and leading in the Paris Climate Agreement (which Biden’s administration did), with the goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
- Green New Deal: Although she hasn’t endorsed every aspect of the Green New Deal, Harris supports many of its goals, including investing in renewable energy, modernizing infrastructure to be more environmentally sustainable, and creating millions of new jobs in the green economy.
- Environmental Justice: Harris advocates for environmental justice, a movement that focuses on addressing the disproportionate impact of environmental degradation and pollution on minority and low-income communities. She wants to ensure that these communities benefit from green investments.
- Donald Trump:
- Energy Independence: Trump focused on achieving energy independence through increased production of fossil fuels like oil, coal, and natural gas. He sees fossil fuels as critical to economic growth and energy security.
- Deregulation of Environmental Laws: Trump’s administration rolled back many environmental regulations, including those imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), believing that these rules hurt U.S. businesses and jobs.
- Climate Change Skepticism: Trump has downplayed the urgency of climate change, questioning the need for drastic measures and regulations. He argued that climate policies like the Paris Agreement were unfair to the U.S. and hurt the economy.
4. Social Justice and Civil Rights:
- Kamala Harris:
- Criminal Justice Reform: As a former prosecutor and California Attorney General, Harris supports reforming the criminal justice system to address racial disparities. She supports police reform, including federal guidelines for the use of force and greater accountability for misconduct. Harris has also advocated for ending cash bail and reducing mass incarceration.
- Racial Equality and Systemic Racism: Harris has spoken extensively about addressing systemic racism in the U.S. She supports policies aimed at reducing racial disparities in wealth, healthcare, housing, and education.
- LGBTQ+ Rights: Harris is a strong advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and supports expanding legal protections for LGBTQ+ individuals in areas like housing, employment, and healthcare.
- Donald Trump:
- Law and Order: Trump’s focus has been on law and order, strongly supporting the police and opposing calls for police reform or defunding the police. His administration argued that violent protests and rising crime rates needed a tougher approach.
- Criminal Justice: Although Trump signed the First Step Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at reducing recidivism and reforming sentencing laws, he is seen as less focused on broad reforms to address systemic racism in the justice system.
- LGBTQ+ Issues: Trump’s administration took steps to roll back some protections for LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly in areas like military service and healthcare, arguing that these rules should be decided by individual states and that businesses should have religious freedom to refuse services.
5. Foreign Policy and Global Leadership:
- Kamala Harris:
- Multilateralism and Diplomacy: Harris, along with Biden, believes in working with allies and international organizations to tackle global challenges. This includes strengthening relationships with NATO and international institutions like the United Nations.
- Rejoining International Agreements: Harris supports the U.S. rejoining international agreements that Trump withdrew from, such as the Iran Nuclear Deal and the Paris Climate Agreement.
- Human Rights: Harris has emphasized human rights and democracy in foreign policy, arguing that the U.S. should stand up for democratic values abroad, especially in places like China, Russia, and the Middle East.
- Donald Trump:
- America First: Trump’s foreign policy is centered around America First, meaning that U.S. interests come before those of international institutions or alliances. He frequently criticized NATO allies for not paying enough for their defense and pulled out of several international agreements (e.g., the Iran Nuclear Deal, Trans-Pacific Partnership).
- Direct Diplomacy with Adversaries: Trump preferred direct diplomacy with countries like North Korea and Russia. His administration was unique in engaging personally with leaders like Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin.
- Trade Wars and Tariffs: Trump pursued a more isolationist trade policy, imposing tariffs on China and other countries to protect U.S. industries and reduce the trade deficit. This led to trade tensions but was popular among some U.S. manufacturers and farmers.
Final Consideration: Leadership Style and Personality
- Kamala Harris: Collaborative, detail-oriented, and measured in her approach to policymaking. As a lawyer, Harris often builds arguments and policies around data and legal frameworks. She focuses on building coalitions and bringing together diverse perspectives to solve problems. Her leadership is often seen as more pragmatic and policy-driven.
- Donald Trump: Known for his populist, combative style, Trump often communicates directly with his supporters via rallies and social media. He prefers making bold, sometimes unilateral decisions and has an unorthodox, CEO-like approach to governance. His leadership is often seen as charismatic to his supporters and divisive to his critics, due to his preference for disruption over consensus-building.
Given all of these areas, the choice between Harris and Trump comes down to which policies and leadership style resonate more with your personal beliefs, values, and vision for the future of the country.