Many are calling this year’s election the most important of our lifetime, with the choices before us to serve as the 47th President of the United States, current Vice President Kamala Harris, or twice-impeached former president Donald Trump.
Though cable news networks have defined immigration and the economy as the top two issues, Defender reporting has found other issues more pressing with Black voters. Here are the general positions of each candidate on several issues those interviewed by the Defender say are important.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
Trump: Wants to end litigation against police accused of brutalizing and/or killing civilians, thereby strengthening qualified immunity. Trump said he promises “retribution and revenge,” including lengthy prison sentences, for those who “opposed” him. Trump hasn’t defined that “opposition” but has said he would use police and the military to “go after” his enemies. He has named as his enemies members of the media/press, elected officials (mainly Democrats, but including some Republicans), the “woke,” supporters of voter reform, supporters of criminal justice reform, supporters of women’s healthcare and anyone (judges, lawyers, elected officials, etc) who have called out Trump’s illegal activities and sought to hold him accountable. Trump called for the criminal justice system under his presidency to call President Barack Obama before a military tribunal.
Harris: The VP co-sponsored legislation in the Senate that would’ve banned police from using chokeholds and no-knock warrants, set a national use-of-force standard and created a national police misconduct registry, and reformed the qualified immunity system that shields officers from liability, just to name a few. She seeks to de-criminalize marijuana and initiated second-chance programs for low-level drug offenders to avoid jail time.
GUN REFORM
Harris: VP Harris, a gun owner, has called for implementing universal background checks and expanding red flag laws to take away guns from people who are deemed dangerous or unstable, a position that is consistent with the vast majority of gun owners in the U.S., be they Republicans or Democrats. She has also supported a ban on military-grade assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
Trump: The former POTUS, who has described himself as the Second Amendment president, vowed at an event sponsored by the National Rifle Association (NRA) earlier this year to undo Biden-era gun restrictions if reelected.
SAVING DEMOCRACY/VOTING RIGHTS
Trump: Trump has continuously lied about the 2020 Presidential Election being stolen, and admitted he lost earlier this year, even though his assertion was the basis of the Jan. 6, 2021 Insurrection. Trump also vowed to be a dictator on day one of his new term if elected and has publicly called for the dismissal and/or ignoring of the U.S. Constitution. Moreover, several times during this spring and summer, Trump assured the audiences he addressed that after this election (Nov. 5, 2024) they would never have to vote again. He even told several crowds that they didn’t have to vote in the 2024 election because, in his words, “I already have the votes; I have more than enough votes.”
Harris: Harris, who had driven within yards of where the Jan. 6 pipe bomb was planted by MAGA insurrectionists, said on the third anniversary of the insurrection, that the Capitol riot showed the “duality” of the nature of democracy: it could be extremely strong when it is under attack but also “extremely fragile” unless people put in the work to sustain it. To that point, Harris promised to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, a move that would restore the critical preclearance requirement section in the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that was gutted by a 2013 Supreme Court ruling, Shelby County v. Holder. The preclearance requirement in the Voting Rights Act mandated that states and local jurisdictions with a history of racially discriminatory voting practices get federal approval before making changes to their election process that could affect voting rights and spur discrimination. The gutting of that act led to an avalanche of voter suppression policies passed by states across the country.
STUDENT LOAN DEBT
Harris: Harris has supported the Biden administration’s moves to provide more than $100 billion in student debt relief, and has argued in favor of student debt relief for public servants. During her 2019 presidential campaign, she said “I do support debt-free college” and backed “income-based repayment” for loans.
Trump: Trump was found guilty of running the scam for-profit “Trump University,” and forced to pay a settlement of $25 million. He has pushed for cuts to programs that assist with student loan forgiveness but did suspend interest on student loan payments during the coronavirus pandemic. Trump has taken the position that student loan forgiveness is unfair to those who have paid off their student loans.
WOMEN’S REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS
Trump: During the September debate, Trump falsely said Democrats support abortions in the third trimester and after birth. No state in the country allows termination after birth. Trump refused to commit to vetoing a national abortion ban. During a town hall Trump wouldn’t say whether he supports a federal abortion ban, though the plan drawn up by roughly 150 individuals who worked for Trump—Project 2025—calls for such actions. Moreover, Trump has repeatedly taken credit for the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, even calling SCOTUS’s actions “a great victory” during a CNN town hall.
Harris: The vice president is in favor of ensuring all American women have access to legal abortions, and echoed Biden’s call for Congress to pass legislation restoring the national standard that existed under Roe v. Wade. She committed to signing a bill to protect the right to abortion across the U.S., and said during an MSNBC interview, “Every person of whatever gender should understand that, if such a fundamental freedom such as the right to make decisions about your own body can be taken, be aware of what other freedoms may be at stake.” During another instance of speaking on the topic of women’s reproductive rights, Harris stated, “Everything is at stake.”
(Sources: wordinblack.com, nbcnews.com, newsnation.com)
