The 2024 US presidential race enters its ultimate weekend, with Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump in a tightly contested battle. Whereas few voters sometimes change their minds at this stage, important occasions might nonetheless sway opinions.
Each candidates are travelling extensively to rally assist in key states, trying to ship clear closing messages. Concurrently, they’re pouring sources into boosting turnout in the course of the ultimate early voting interval, as misinformation turns into more and more prevalent.
Over 70 million Individuals have already voted, accounting for 45 per cent of the overall from 2020. Opinion polls point out a useless warmth between Trump and Harris, with the result hinging on efficiency in seven swing states.
In the meantime, let’s check out key points influencing the race embody taxes, immigration, and abortion as Trump and Harris make their ultimate pushes for the presidency.
Economic system
– Trump, who applied tax cuts for companies and the rich throughout his presidency from 2017 to 2021, intends to impose tariffs exceeding 10 per cent on all U.S. imports, claiming it can enable him to cut back taxes for Americans.
– The Republican candidate has promised to rework the US into the “crypto capital of the planet” and launched his personal cryptocurrency platform along with his sons in September.
– Democrat Kamala Harris is focusing on the center class together with her imaginative and prescient of an “alternative economic system,” which incorporates reasonable tax will increase for the wealthiest people.
– Harris additionally advocates for youngster tax credit, assist for first-time homebuyers, and help for small companies.
Immigration
– Immigration is a vital concern within the upcoming November election, with many citizens expressing concern over the inflow of migrants into the US in the course of the Biden administration.
– Trump, who initially rose to the presidency on a platform centered on immigration, goals to leverage this concern for a second time period. He has pledged to implement mass deportations of tens of millions of undocumented migrants if reelected.
– The previous president, who promised to assemble a wall alongside the US-Mexico border in 2016, has claimed that immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our nation.” A key promise of his potential second time period is to execute the most important home deportation in US historical past, regardless of having by no means exceeded 350,000 deportations throughout his first time period, in response to the Related Press.
– For context, former President Barack Obama oversaw 432,000 deportations in 2013, the very best annual determine on file.
– In distinction, Harris has additionally dedicated to a powerful stance on immigration, warning of “penalties” for these coming into the nation illegally. Throughout her first go to to the border because the Democratic nominee, she proposed measures to additional limit asylum claims, constructing on insurance policies established earlier by the Biden administration.
– Harris helps Biden’s technique to tighten immigration coverage, which incorporates investing in bodily obstacles alongside the border. She has emphasised her concentrate on imposing border safety and combating drug smuggling in her public statements and on her marketing campaign web site.
Abortion
– This yr’s election polling signifies a major gender divide, with ladies voters leaning in direction of Harris, whereas Trump garners extra assist from males, suggesting that abortion might be a important issue within the election final result.
– Reproductive rights have develop into a serious concern for a lot of US voters following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, which led to complete abortion bans in a number of states.
– On Thursday, Kamala Harris criticised Donald Trump for what she described as “very offensive” feedback about ladies, bringing abortion rights again into the political discourse as Trump continued to make derogatory remarks about migrants within the marketing campaign’s ultimate days.
– Trump regularly highlights his affect in appointing Supreme Court docket justices who overturned the 1973 ruling and has advised he may additional restrict entry to medicine used for medical abortions if he wins one other time period.
– Regardless of being discovered liable final yr for sexually assaulting author E. Jean Carroll, Trump claims he can be “nice for girls.”
– Harris is advocating for a federal legislation to revive nationwide abortion rights, positioning this concern as a central theme of her marketing campaign.
– On November 5, voters in 10 states will make choices on constitutional amendments that would considerably affect abortion entry in these areas.
Overseas politics
Amid ongoing conflicts within the Center East and Ukraine, Trump has promised to swiftly resolve each conditions, though he hasn’t clarified how he plans to take action. He has criticised the substantial US monetary assist for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion in 2022.
In distinction, Harris has dedicated to supporting Ukraine if reelected. In keeping with Reuters, she can be “regular on NATO,” which sharply contrasts with Trump’s makes an attempt to reshape the U.S. relationship with the army alliance. Harris’s steadfastness on NATO would proceed the Biden administration’s “staunch assist” for the group, and she or he has vowed to assist Ukraine in opposition to Russia, describing its actions as a “barbaric and inhumane” battle in opposition to its neighbour.
The Guardian studies that Trump has brazenly expressed his want to “finish the battle” and lower US support spending. He has repeatedly tried to dam support packages in Congress and has promised—or threatened—to compel Moscow and Kyiv to barter a deal earlier than the US presidential inauguration in January.
Each Trump and Harris specific ongoing assist for Israel, although the vp has centered extra on the struggling of Palestinians. In a telephone name with Netanyahu earlier this month, Trump expressed his assist for the conflicts in Lebanon and Gaza, telling the prime minister to “do what you need to do.” Conversely, Harris has been extra important than Biden relating to Israel’s actions in Gaza and has proven higher empathy for Palestinians. Brian Katulis, a senior fellow for US overseas coverage on the Center East Institute, said {that a} Harris administration might need “barely” extra potential to restrain Israel, whereas beneath a Trump situation, “you’re more likely to see this embolden Israel’s efforts to maneuver much more aggressively ahead with none restraint.”
Local weather
America ranks because the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases globally, following China, but neither presidential candidate has introduced an in depth technique to deal with local weather change.
Trump, who has constantly labelled local weather change a “hoax” regardless of substantial scientific consensus, goals to eradicate subsidies for renewable power and electrical autos, arguing that they negatively affect companies.
The Republican candidate has pledged to “drill, child, drill” for oil and intends to withdraw the USA from the Paris local weather settlement as soon as extra.
In distinction, Harris has highlighted the “Inflation Discount Act” launched by President Joe Biden, which has spurred funding in inexperienced power initiatives.
In keeping with her marketing campaign web site, she “is dedicated to persevering with and constructing upon the USA’ worldwide local weather management.”
(With inputs from AFP, Related Press)
