Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris walked onto the stage that evening with palpable tension in the air, setting the tone for what would become one of the most highly anticipated and contentious debates in recent memory. Two figures who had not met previously, with opposing political ideologies, faced the daunting task of not only appealing to their core supporters but also persuading undecided voters to back their vision for America’s future.

Harris recently earned the Democratic party’s nomination after President Biden suspended his second term campaign and endorsed her. Trump, who had already participated in the June debate with Biden, seemed more seasoned in his approach this time around. His previous encounter with President Biden had set the stage for the election’s early discourse, but in facing Harris, the strategy differed but one thing remained the same: his signature combative style. Trump’s messaging pivoted between touting his prior accomplishments as president and portraying Harris as a continuation of what he deemed “failed Democratic leadership.”

On the contrary, Harris came into the debate with class, yet facing Trump she reciprocated with her own combative style. She maintained a delicate balance of addressing Trump’s attacks with focusing on her own vision for America’s future. Anticipating his debate style, she was able to prepare sharp retorts while projecting composure.

As a whole, the September presidential debate was one to remember, but not just for its exposure of the candidates’ key policy stances or attacks on one another. Rather, its theatrical nature seemed to gain more attention. It was hard to pay attention to the candidates’ actual policy stances. So, what are both candidates’ main policy stances?

Kamala Harris: Democratic Party

Economy
​​During the campaign, Harris has focused on building an “opportunity economy” that lowers costs for working families while promoting upward mobility. Her platform emphasizes reducing expenses in areas like healthcare, housing, and education, alongside creating well-paying jobs through investments in infrastructure and clean energy. Harris advocates for stronger labor protections, affordable childcare, public education, and tax policies that favor low- and middle-income earners, while increasing taxes on corporations and the wealthy to support social programs and public investments.

Immigration
As Vice President, she advocated for the bipartisan border security bill, which would have deployed more detection technology to intercept fentanyl and other drugs from reaching the border, along with adding 1,500 more security agents. At Trump’s command, most Congressional Republicans opposed the bill, so it never went into law. However, Harris still believes in the bill and desires to revive it. She also recognizes that our immigration system is flawed and requires comprehensive reform, which should include robust border security and a pathway to citizenship that must be earned. However, a major problem and concern for voters with the Biden administration is that a record number of migrants have crossed the border illegally. Harris was tasked with tackling the “root causes” of illegal immigration in 2021, however, numbers have only risen and some have argued it’s only gotten worse. Recently, Harris promised a tough on migration stance if she were elected.

Abortion
Harris has long supported a woman’s right to an abortion, and in general, reproductive freedom. Especially against a pro-life candidate like Trump, she has made abortion rights central to her campaign. “When Congress passes a law to restore reproductive freedoms, as president of the United States, I will sign it into law,” she said at a rally for her 2024 campaign in Atlanta, Georgia.

Ukraine War
On the world stage as Vice President, Harris has already demonstrated her ability to be a foreign policy leader. For the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, she has vowed to support Ukraine for “as long as it takes.” Before the beginning of the conflict, Harris stated that she met with President Zelenskyy to advise him of Russia’s plan to invade. This allowed the U.S. and Ukraine to mobilize a global response with the other fifty countries of NATO in order to help Ukraine defend itself from Russian aggression. However, the relationship between Harris and Zelenskyy has since been a bit strained in part due to her “formal sympathy” as described by a Ukrainian official.

Israel-Gaza War
As she has reiterated multiple times, Harris believes that “Israel has a right to defend itself,” but she is also aware of the fact that Palestinians need “dignity and security.” During the Biden administration she and President Biden have been actively working to bring an end to the war in Gaza. They aim to ensure Israel’s security, secure the release of hostages, alleviate the suffering in Gaza, “working around the clock” to finalize agreements on both a hostage release and a ceasefire.

Healthcare
While earlier in her career Harris pushed for a more progressive stance on healthcare policy by being a “Medicare for all” champion, she has shifted from this. Harris played a key role by casting the tie-breaking vote for the American Rescue Plan, which marked a significant investment in the care economy. As President, she will prioritize reducing care expenses for American families by increasing access to high-quality home care services for seniors and people with disabilities.

Climate
Prior to her appointment as Vice President, as a prosecutor, Harris won multiple California climate law cases against major oil companies for environmental damage. While taking a step back from her 2020 presidential campaign stance on fracking by casting the tie breaking vote on the Inflation Reduction Act, she has said that the country should invest in diverse sources of energy so we can reduce our reliance on foreign oil. Overall, her policy platform is to protect public lands and public health, reduce household energy costs, and hold polluters accountable to ensure clean air and water.

Gun Laws
Harris has consistently supported gun safety regulations, defending California’s laws as attorney general. As vice president, she led the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention and promoted red-flag laws, encouraging states to use $750 million in federal funds for crisis intervention programs. Her platform includes banning assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and requiring universal background checks. She also noted that both she and her running mate, Tim Walz, are gun owners.

Donald Trump: Republican Party

Economy
Trump has pledged to safeguard Social Security and Medicare, despite these programs being major contributors to the national debt. In fact, during his presidency, the national debt grew by $7.8 trillion, marking the third-largest increase relative to the size of the U.S. economy. In a January 2023 campaign video, he stated, “Republicans should not vote to cut even a penny from Medicare or Social Security.” He signed the 2017 tax reform law proposed by Republicans, which cut taxes for many corporations and individuals. Income data released by the IRS clearly indicate that, on average, all income groups saw significant benefits from the Republican tax reform law, with working and middle-income filers experiencing the greatest gains.

Immigration
Trump has stated that he plans to carry out mass deportations of undocumented immigrants and eliminate birthright citizenship. He has also proposed reinstating policies from his previous administration, such as the travel ban on certain Muslim-majority countries, expanding the border wall, and increasing immigration enforcement measures to deter illegal crossings. His platform emphasizes stricter immigration laws and policies aimed at reducing both legal and illegal immigration into the United States.

Abortion
While he has changed his position throughout the years, recently, Trump prides himself as the “pro-life” president. Inheriting three justice vacancies, Trump was able to pack the Court with three new conservative justices, leaning the Court to a conservative majority. This led to the Dobbs decision, which overturned the long-standing decision protecting abortion rights in Roe v. Wade. The Dobbs decision also decided that abortion restrictions were now up to the states, which makes sense why Trump’s current stance is that abortion policy should be decided by individual states and he would decline a national abortion ban. Trump has also pledged that his administration would support women’s reproductive rights and proposed government or private insurance coverage for IVF treatment. Additionally, according to campaign spokesman Steven Cheung, Trump supports exceptions for abortion in cases of rape, incest, and to protect the life of the mother.

Ukraine War
In July 2023, he urged Republicans to withhold Ukraine’s military aid to push for a GOP investigation into Biden’s family. He has said he would “settle” the Ukraine war before taking office and has considered pressuring Ukraine to cede territory to Russia as part of a plan to end the conflict. When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Trump praised Vladmir Putin as a “genius” and “pretty savvy.”

Israel-Gaza War
During his presidency, Trump claimed to have “fought for Israel like no president ever before.” Trump’s stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict emphasizes strong, unwavering support for Israel. He criticizes President Biden’s approach, accusing it of being weak and overly sympathetic toward Palestinians, particularly groups like Hamas, which the U.S. designates as a terrorist organization. Trump’s policies during his presidency focused on pro-Israel measures, such as recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and cutting aid to Palestinians. The Abraham Accords, which established coexistence measures between Israel and its middle east neighbors, was a major foreign policy initiative for Trump during his administration. Furthermore, his campaign implies that Biden’s efforts to revive the Iran nuclear deal embolden terrorist organizations like Hamas, further fueling the conflict. Trump’s team also opposes efforts to tie the Israel-Hamas violence to broader peace processes, arguing that the immediate priority should be neutralizing terrorist threats rather than pursuing a two-state solution under current circumstances.

Healthcare
A major policy initiative for Trump is repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, created by the Obama administration. This includes ending Medicaid expansion, and proposing restructuring Medicaid into block grants or per capita caps, along with reducing eligibility and benefits. These proposals, part of Trump’s budget plans, were estimated to cut federal Medicaid spending by about $1 trillion over 10 years. He lowered drug prices for the first time in 50 years and ensured the U.S. received the same discounts as other countries. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he led efforts to produce ventilators and develop treatments and vaccines. Trump plans to lower prescription drug costs, and protect Medicare, Social Security, and pre-existing condition coverage.

Climate
Under President Donald J. Trump’s leadership, the U.S. became the world’s top producer of oil and natural gas, achieving energy independence and delivering historically low prices for oil, gas, diesel, and electricity to consumers and businesses. Trump plans to tap into America’s “God-given” natural resources, including oil, natural gas, and clean coal. During his presidency, he approved the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines. He also expanded oil and gas production on federal lands and offshore areas while withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord. Trump pledges to reignite domestic energy production, lower gas and diesel prices, bolster global energy security, scrap the Green New Deal, and ensure the U.S. is never dependent on foreign energy suppliers again. And he has previously stated that climate change is a “hoax.”

Gun Laws
Trump’s stance on gun policy emphasizes strong support for the Second Amendment and opposition to gun control measures. He advocates for allowing individuals to carry firearms and opposes restrictions on gun purchases. Trump has also expressed support for the National Rifle Association (NRA) and has been critical of efforts to implement stricter background checks or bans on certain types of firearms. His position aligns with the broader Republican platform that prioritizes gun rights and resists significant regulatory changes.

The Importance of This Election

The 2024 election holds profound importance, not just because of the high-profile candidates but because of the broader ideological and policy battles at stake, including the introduction of Project 2025 by the Heritage Foundation, a “conservative blueprint” for the next Republican president. Trump’s relative alignment with Project 2025’s goals reflects his platform’s focus on government decentralization, deregulation, and a return to traditional conservative values. The plan includes proposals to reduce the size of the federal workforce, roll back climate and environmental regulations, and empower state governments to take on more responsibilities previously managed at the federal level. Trump’s promise to enact similar plans to Project 2025 resonates with conservative voters who are eager to see a dramatic overhaul of the federal government.

On the other hand, Kamala Harris represents a stark contrast to the goals of Project 2025. Her platform is centered on preserving and strengthening federal institutions, using the government’s regulatory power to address pressing issues like climate change, healthcare, and social inequality. Harris’s vision calls for a more active federal government that promotes opportunity and addresses systemic challenges through robust public investment.

This clash, between a radically decentralized government envisioned by Trump and Project 2025, and a progressive federal model advocating for a more centralized government proposed by Harris, makes this election a turning point. Voters are not just choosing between two individuals—they are deciding whether the U.S. will move toward dismantling the regulatory state or reinforcing the role of federal governance in shaping policy. The outcome of this election will determine the future of America’s democratic institutions (changing in voting rights, checks and balances, and the rule of law), the environment (vastly different approaches to conservation, and environmental regulation), and the rights of individuals (shifts in reproductive rights and civil rights), making it one of the most consequential elections in modern history. So go out and VOTE!