trump versus harris: Two visions for america in a pivotal election

As the presidential election approaches, the spotlight intensifies on the major candidates competing for the nation’s highest office

NEWS | September 2024

Before July 21, it looked like the 60th quadrennial presidential election would have the same leading candidates as the 2020 race: Joe Biden, former Delaware senator and Donald Trump, former media star and businessman. That is until President Biden announced he was withdrawing himself from running and started endorsing current Vice President Kamala Harris. With nearly 20 candidates dropping out, Trump and Harris lead the polls with three other independent and third-party candidates below them. 

Trump chose  Ohio Senator JD Vance to be his running mate for this coming election, with the New Yorker claiming that he is the “fuse that Trump lit.” He is quickly rising in political circles with his stances on key issues such as immigration and alignment with Trump for the 2024 campaign.   

A part of his campaign, Trump tells his supporters that he will “end inflation and make America affordable again.” An assassination attempt was made on the former president in July, which  “transformed the 2024 campaign,” claims Stephen Collinson from CNN. 

Harris chose  Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate. Cedric Richmond, an adviser a part of her selection team, shared  to the New York Times that “she wanted someone who understood the role… and brought contrast to the ticket.”

The latecomer has “not announced many policies during the course of her short campaign, but she has released some proposals and has her record as vice president,” states a group of writers from CBS News.

During the debate on September 10, Harris reinstated her pro-choice stance on reinstating Roe v. Wade and protecting abortion rights. Trump has frequently been pro-life in the past, most notably in appointing the Supreme Court justices who played a part in overturning Roe v. Wade. In the debate, he made his belief clear that states should have the right to choose abortion laws.

As for gun control, Harris' campaign platform centers on the “freedom to live safe from gun violence” Throughout her political career,  she has announced the launch of a National Extreme Risk Protection Order Resource Center and called for a reinstatement of the federal assault rifle ban. As for Trump's stance, he plans to loosen the gun safety measures put into place by the Biden administration. This February, he told National Rifle Association (NRA) members that he was “the best friend gun owners have ever had in the White House.” 

They also stand differently in several standpoints, such as climate, caregiving, Israel and Palestine, and healthcare. 

The naming of a new candidate this late in the game is unprecedented historically, and it had a notable effect on the percentages in the race. BBC’s current estimated polls have Harris at about a narrow 3% lead over Trump. However, poll estimators can never be completely sure about who the American people will vote for. 

The ABC News September 10 debate sparked conversations across the country with Linsey Davis, debate moderator, claiming that “the race has taken on an entirely new dynamic” since the stepping down of President Joe Biden. It is still unclear if there will be another presidential debate with the election taking place in just less than two months. The vice presidential debate is set to be held October 1, 2024. 

Tune in for the election on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.