Countdown to Election Day: How each Candidate's Policies Could Reshape America’s Future
- Nov 14, 2024
- 5 min read
Merry Li
With the 2024 Presidential Election extremely close, voters across the country are getting ready to choose who they think should lead our nation. In the recent presidential debate, each candidate shared their plans on issues that mattered to Americans, like immigration, the economy, and reproductive rights. But with all the campaign talk and big promises, it can be hard to know what’s true and what’s just talk. In this post, we’ll look at each candidate’s main ideas from the debate, fact-check their big claims, and explore how their policies could impact everyday life.
As both candidates took the stage in Philadelphia for their presidential debate hosted by ABC News, the atmosphere was charged with anticipation. The debate began with the candidates addressing the economy and the cost of living in this country.
HARRIS: “We know that we have a shortage of homes and housing, and the cost of housing is too expensive for far too many people. We know that young families need support to raise their children. And I intend on extending a tax cut for those families of $6,000, which is the largest child tax credit that we have given in a long time…my plan is to give a $50,000 tax deduction to start-up small businesses”
This is true. On August 16th, 2024 Harris laid out her agenda to lower costs for American families, announcing several proposals for her first 100 days in office to bring down costs for American families. To list a few, she calls for the construction of 3 million new housing units to end the housing supply shortage, proposes a new $40 billion innovation fund to empower local governments to fund local solutions to building housing and providing a $25,000 down-payment support for first-time homeowners.
HARRIS: “Let’s talk about what Donald Trump left us. Donald Trump left us the worst unemployment since the Great Depression. Donald Trump left us the worst public health epidemic in a century. Donald Trump left us the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War. And what we have done is clean up Donald Trump’s mess.”
This is mostly true. At the height of the Great Depression in 1933, the unemployment rate was about 25% and at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the unemployment rate peaked at 14.8%. So, while COVID-19 did cause a dramatic spike in unemployment, it wasn’t worse than the Great Depression. Trump bringing about the worst public health epidemic in a century is generally accurate. The pandemic had a profound impact on public health leading to millions of deaths worldwide and significant strain on healthcare systems. Harris accusing Trump of having the worst attack on our democracy is likely referring to the January 6th Capital riot and the broader attempts to overturn the 2020 election results, which is a serious threat to democratic norms.
If elected, Trump aims to permanently extend major components of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) which lowered taxes for individuals and businesses, made the standard deduction larger, removed personal exemptions, and changed some tax credits and deductions to help boost the economy. Additionally, Trump wants to eliminate income taxes on Social Security benefits, lower corporate tax rate from 21% to 15% and extend generous tax provisions for business investments. Extending the TCJA could lead to a larger budget deficit, as these policies may reduce government revenue which would result in increased national debt unless offset by spending cuts or other revenue sources. Trump’s proposed tax favors corporations and high-income earners, exacerbating wealth inequality. Finally, eliminating taxes on Social Security benefits could provide financial relief for retirees, however it may also reduce government revenue that supports Social Security programs.
Immigration:
TRUMP: “On top of that, we have millions of people pouring into our country from prisons and jails, from mental institutions and insane asylums. And they’re coming in and they’re taking jobs that are occupied right now by African Americans and Hispanics and also unions…they’re taking over towns, taking over buildings, and they're going in violently.”
This is false. Trump often utilizes a negative narrative of immigration. Of the 1.5 million apprehensions of illegal border crossing, about 15,608 were of people with previous criminal convictions. The common conviction was for illegal entry into another country (9,545) followed by driving under the influence (2,577) and drug possession and trafficking offenses (1,414). Trump’s claims that immigrants are taking jobs are also false, in fact immigrants help the overall economy by increasing the labor force, consumer spending, helping to reduce the age of the working population and much more. If elected, Trump promises to carry out the “largest domestic deportation operation in American history,” which would require relocating military troops to the US - Mexico border, and authorizing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids of the workplace.
Harris on the other hand has been historically cautious on immigration issues, emphasizing her law enforcement background and previous role in addressing the root causes of migration from Central America. While she supports comprehensive immigration reform and new pathways to citizenship, she has not clarified her stance on continuing certain Biden administration programs that facilitate migrant entry into the U.S.
Then, the talk shifted to reproductive rights:
TRUMP: “Well, the reason I’m doing that vote is because the plan is, as you know, the vote is, they have abortion in the ninth month. They even have, and you can look at the governor of West Virginia…he said the baby will be born and we will decide what to do with the baby. In other words, we’ll execute the baby.”
This is false. There is no state where it is legal to kill a baby after birth. Trump has been inconsistent with his stance on abortion. He initially described himself as pro-choice but later shifted to pro-life during his campaign for president in 2016. Throughout his presidency, he supported various measures to restrict abortion access, including the appointment of conservative justices to the Supreme Court, which some believe contributed to the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. As of the presidential debate Trump has denied claims of him veto-ing an abortion ban and that he does favor exceptions to abortion bans in cases of rape, incest, or when the mother’s life is at risk.
As for Harris, abortion rights have been a focal point of her campaign. If elected, Harris would never allow a national abortion ban to become law, and when Congress passes a bill to restore reproductive freedom nationwide, she will sign it.
In summary, the 2024 presidential debate highlighted significant differences in the candidates approaches to key issues which are not all highlighted here. Harris presented plans aimed at alleviating the financial burden on American families and criticized Trump’s record on unemployment and public health. While Harris’s claims were mostly factual, Trump’s rhetoric on immigration and abortion was often misleading or false, reflecting his negative narratives on these topics. As we approach the election, it is crucial for every eligible voter to make their voice heard. Your vote is not just a ballot; it’s an opportunity to influence the future of our country on critical issues.
Citations:
ABC News. “Harris-Trump Presidential Debate Transcript.” ABC News, 2024,
BBC News. “The Truth about Immigration.” BBC News, 2024, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0jp4xqx2z3o
CBS News. “Trump, Harris, and Abortion in the 2024 Election.” CBS News, 2024,
NPR. “Fact Check: Trump and Harris in the 2024 Presidential Debate.” NPR, 11 Sept. 2024 https://www.npr.org/2024/09/11/g-s1-21932/fact-check-trump-harris-presidential-debate-2024
U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “CBP Enforcement Statistics: Criminal Non-Citizen Statistics.” CBP, 2024,
