Trump and Harris' stances on Federal policy issues

On the Ohio ballot, there are five presidential tickets: Trump/Vance, Harris/Walz, Duncan/Bupp, Oliver/ter Maat, Sonski/Onak and Stein/Rios. Below, we have focused on the two major parties’ candidates — former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris — and their stances on pressing policy issues.

NATO

Harris: The Harris campaign website’s “Issues” page mentioned NATO once under the heading “Stand With Our Allies, Stand Up to Dictators and Lead on the World Stage.” It said she has worked with American allies to ensure NATO is stronger than ever. At the 2024 Munich Security Conference, she affirmed her commitment to NATO, saying “[NATO is] the greatest military alliance the world has ever known.”

Trump: The Trump campaign website’s “Platform” section does not reference NATO. The website does, however, reference the 2024 GOP Platform, but this document doesn’t refer to NATO either. While in office, Trump was often critical of NATO, frequently saying that many European members weren’t spending 2% of GDP on defense as they had pledged.

At a rally in February, Trump said, “I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want,” in reference to the hypothetical invasion of any NATO country by Russia that was not meeting its spending obligations.

Ukraine

Harris: The Harris campaign website said five days before Russia attacked Ukraine, she met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to warn him about Russia’s plan to invade and helped mobilize a global response of more than 50 countries to help Ukraine defend itself against Vladimir Putin’s brutal aggression.

Under the Biden-Harris administration, America has spent more than $175 billion on aid for Ukrainian society and its military. At a peace conference in Switzerland in June, Harris talked about America’s “unwavering commitment to support the people of Ukraine as they defend themselves against Russia’s brutal aggression.”

Trump: Under the Trump-Pence administration, Trump sought to warm relations with Putin and Russia. Nevertheless, his administration still tightened sanctions on Russia over the annexation of Crimea and withdrew the U.S. from several treaties with Russia. In recent months, Trump has claimed that as president, he would quickly end the war. At the debate, he said, “If I'm president-elect, I'll get it done before even becoming president.”

Israel

Harris: The Harris campaign website dedicates a paragraph to Israel. It says, “Vice President Harris will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself and she will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself.”

It also firmly rebukes Iran, saying “Vice President Harris will never hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to protect U.S. forces and interests from Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups.”

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Finally, it outlines a policy to end the war in Gaza, the return of Israeli hostages and self-determination for Palestinians. Under the Biden-Harris administration, Israel has received more than $12 billion in aid. At a meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, in July, Harris affirmed her support for Israel, saying “Israel has a right to defend itself, and how it does so matters.” She also called for a ceasefire in April, an entire month before Biden did.

Trump: The Trump campaign website doesn’t mention Israel, but it is mentioned in passing in the 2024 GOP Platform. It says, “We will stand with Israel, and seek peace in the Middle East. We will rebuild our alliance network in the region to ensure a future of peace, stability and prosperity.”

As a former president and now as a presidential candidate, Trump has had a strong record in favor of Israel. His administration pioneered the Abraham Accords, which saw four Arab countries recognize Israel. He also recognized Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, a territory controlled by Israel and disputed by Syria. Trump also took the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal and broke from convention with his declared lack of interest in a separate Palestinian state.

fuhrigma@miamioh.edu