There has never been a presidential candidate like Donald Trump, 78. Trump, who announced he would seek reelection in November 2022, could become the first ex-president to win back the White House since Grover Cleveland. He is already the first major candidate to face the prospect of four criminal trials during an election year. Throughout his campaign, Trump has proposed giving the president more power to hire and fire government employees, replacing civil servants with political followers.
Climate
change
Trump opposes most climate change legislation, a position that hasn’t changed since his term in the White House. During his presidency, he withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement, a global climate initiative that Biden rejoined once he took office. Trump also says supporters of climate change are trying to destroy the nation’s energy industry. As president, Trump rolled back swaths of the nation’s environmental regulations, and he has regularly minimized the effects of climate change around the world. He has vowed to increase domestic oil and gas production and has said he opposes existing government subsidies for wind power development.
Crime
& policing
Trump is making public safety concerns, particularly crimes committed by undocumented immigrants, a centerpiece of his campaign. He supports increased powers for police and says Democratic policies are leading to crime sprees in big cities. A Gallup poll found 77% of Americans agree with him that crime is on the rise, despite FBI evidence to the contrary. Meanwhile, opponents say his proposed crackdowns threaten civil liberties. During his term in office, Trump did sign the First Step Act into law, which expanded some early-release programs for people convicted of crimes and reduced certain mandatory minimum sentences, among other changes. He also issued several high-profile pardons and commutations while in office, working alongside Kim Kardashian on some efforts.
Education
Trump has called for closing the U.S. Department of Education. He wants to turn education over to the states, although states already control funding and school curriculum, and give parents more say in running schools. While education has not been a major focus of his campaign, he has taken firm stances on cultural issues that often impact education. He supports a ban on transgender students’ participation in school sports and has praised the Supreme Court’s rulings targeting affirmative action programs in higher education. He has criticized Biden’s efforts to cancel student loan debt for millions of borrowers. In 2023 he also praised the Supreme Court justices for striking down a chunk of Biden’s plan, which Trump called unfair for people who have paid back their educational loans.
Economy
Trump receives some of his highest marks from voters on his handling of the economy. A Wall Street Journal poll in March found a majority of voters said they trust him to do a better job than Biden in bringing down inflation, a top economic concern. In 2017, Trump and his fellow Republicans passed a $1.5 trillion tax overhaul, which would expire during the next president’s term in 2025. He has criticized the growing federal debt, though his critics point out that the nation’s budget and debt increased under Trump’s watch. The former president has also been more skeptical of free trade initiatives and agreements than some of his Republican counterparts, going so far as to start a trade war with China during his term in office.
Foreign policy
As he did in 2016, Trump is promoting an “America First” agenda that is suspicious of free trade and alliances with other countries, such as NATO. Trump also wants to pull back on U.S. defense commitments, throwing into doubt aid to Ukraine in its war with Russia. He has a tendency to praise authoritarian leaders in Russia, China and North Korea, but has criticized the actions of China and Iran. Trump has promised to support Israel in its ongoing war against Hamas, but he has also been critical of Israeli leaders.
Health care
Trump tried and failed to repeal the health care law signed by his predecessor, former President Barack Obama. Now, Trump says he does not want to repeal it but to improve it and make it cheaper. He has not released a specific plan. As president, he did sign legislation to increase funding for substance use disorder treatment in the wake of the opioid epidemic, and in 2017 he declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency. However, on the campaign trail Trump has been more focused on addressing the spread of fentanyl in the U.S., taking aim at drug cartels in Mexico.
Immigration
Trump has promised the biggest deportation and border arrest programs in American history, and the border has been his signature issue since he entered politics. The former president has said he will expand upon his past policies with plans to direct law enforcement and the National Guard to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. During his White House term, Trump famously vowed to build a wall on the U.S. southern border, though he did not complete that goal while he was in office. His administration’s policy of separating immigrant families prompted international condemnation. He also made efforts to ban travelers from a group of Muslim-majority countries.
Reproductive rights
Trump says individual states should set their own laws on abortion, not the federal government. His stance disappointed abortion opponents, as did his warning to Republicans against supporting bans across the country that are too restrictive. He has criticized six-week bans that are law in several states but has not specified what he would support. He has also not specified whether he supports access to mifepristone, the abortion pill, a question before the Supreme Court. Trump says abortion laws should include exceptions for rape, incest and several medical emergencies. Trump appointed three of the six pivotal Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade.
https://www.usatoday.com/elections/voter-guide/2024-11-05/candidate/donald-trump
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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