Trump Vs. Biden

Madalyn Cottrell, MVCurrent Writer

Missed the presidential debates? Here is everything to know about the two nominees moving towards the 2020 election on November 3rd.

Donald Trump, the nominee for the Republican party, is running on a conservative platform. Mike Pence, the former governor of Indiana, is his running mate, and shares many of the same views as Donald Trump. Joe Biden is running on a progressive platform with his running mate Kamala Harris, a former senator from California. 

The two nominees have expressed their opinions on various social topics. The Black Lives Matter movement has sparked attention towards racial injustice, and it has become a topic in both the presidential debate and the vice presidential debate. Joe Biden believes that combating racial injustice is a priority, while Donald Trump does not quite share the same belief. Biden stated that the US needs “a major mobilization of effort to advance racial equality across the American Economy” and that America is seeing a “national reckoning on racial injustice and systematic racism” since the death of George Floyd. Trump wants to issue sensitivity training on promoting the idea that racism is “decisive” and “un-American propaganda.” He wants to withold federal funding from schools who teach the history of slavery and its role in the formation of the country, and claims that the Black Lives Matter movement is “discriminatory.” 

During the Presidential Debate, Trump also refused to denounce white supremacy, and told the Proud Boys to “stand back, and stand by.”  The Proud Boys are a neo-facist, males-only group that engages in political violence. Trump also has argued that he’s done “more for the African American community than any US President, excluding Abe Lincoln” and has recently vowed to declare the KKK a terrorist group.

The topic of abortion has been a political topic of debate throughout the years, and is  now on the forefornt of the conversation again. Biden, who claims he is “personally against abortion,” does not want to impose his beliefs on the country. He also does not want to prohibit a choice he believes should be made by a woman. Donald Trump is pro-life, and wants Planned Parenthood “absolutely defunded.” 

Ruth Bader Ginsburg died from complications caused by cancer September 18th, and her dying wish was for the 2020 election’s winner to be announced before she was replaced, fearing Roe. V Wade would be overturned by a conservative justice installed by Trump. Against this, Trump nominated Amy Coney Barret, and she was confirmed on October 27.

When it comes to climate change policies, Biden and Trump have their own stances. Biden demands reform, and has developed his own Biden Plan that will work to bring America back into the Paris Agreement. With the installment of new tactics to combat climate change, Biden will also create thousands of jobs for workers shifting into new professions created by creating renewable energy in America. On the other hand, Trump is a climate-change skeptic. He questions the science of climate change, and believes that the American taxpayers will be the ones to absorb the costs of creating sources of renewable energy. 

Trump’s immigration policies have been a staple of his campaign. He wants to build a wall along the border of Mexico in order to keep illegal immigrants from coming into America, and wants to continue construction into his next term if he is re-elected. He does want to protect undocumented members of the US Army from deportation, but believes anyone else who has come here illegally should leave. Trump is not against immigrants coming into America, he just wants people to come here legally. Biden’s stance is a bit different. He believes immigrants are an “irrefutable” source of American strength, and he thinks that immigration is “essential to who we are as a nation.” Biden still wants people to come here legally, but wants to improve the screening process and improve border technology in order to make things easier and safer for those wanting to come to the United States.

These are just a few political topics the current nominees have debated over, and there is still so much more to take into consideration when voting for either candidate. Election day is November 3rd, so if you are eligible, make sure your voice is heard.