Comparing Trump and Harris

Former PresidentDonald Trump

Trump often brags about appointing the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade. Trump says decisions on access to abortions and cutoffs limiting when the procedure can be performed should be left to the states.

Vice PresidentKamala Harris

Vice President Harris is the Democrats’ most visible champion of abortion rights. She has called on Congress to pass legislation guaranteeing in federal law abortion access, a right that stood for nearly 50 years before being overturned by the Supreme Court.

Former PresidentDonald Trump

Former President Trump, who in the past cast climate change as a “hoax” and harbors a particular disdain for wind power, says it’s his goal for the U.S. to have the cheapest energy and electricity in the world. He’d increase oil drilling on public lands; offer tax breaks to oil, gas and coal producers; speed the approval of natural gas pipelines; open dozens of new power plants, and roll back the Biden administration’s efforts to get people to switch to electric cars. He has also pledged to re-exit the Paris Climate Accords and end wind subsidies.

Vice PresidentKamala Harris

Before becoming vice president, then-California Senator Harris was an early sponsor of the Green New Deal, a sweeping series of proposals meant to swiftly move the U.S. to fully green energy. Harris also said during her short-lived 2020 presidential campaign that she opposed offshore drilling for oil and hydraulic fracturing. But during her three and a half years as vice president, Harris has adopted more moderate positions, focusing instead on implementing the climate provisions of the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act. That provided nearly $375 billion for things like financial incentives for electric cars and clean energy projects.

Former PresidentDonald Trump

Former President Trump promises to mount the largest domestic deportation in U.S. history — an operation that could involve detention camps and the National Guard. He’d bring back policies he put in place during his first term, like the Remain in Mexico program and Title 42. And he’d revive and expand the travel ban that originally targeted citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries. After the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, he pledged new “ideological screening” for immigrants. He’d seek to end birthright citizenship for people born in the U.S. whose parents are in the country illegally.

Vice PresidentKamala Harris

Vice President Harris became President Joe Biden’s point person on the root causes of migration. Trump and top Republicans now blame Harris for a situation at the U.S.-Mexico border that they say is out of control. Harris has countered that Trump worsened the situation by killing a bipartisan Senate compromise that would have included tougher asylum standards and hiring more border agents, immigration judges and asylum officers. The vice president has endorsed comprehensive immigration reform, seeking pathways to citizenship for immigrants in the U.S. without legal status.

Former PresidentDonald Trump

Trump has expressed support for Israel’s efforts to “destroy” Hamas. Trump says Israel must finish the job quickly and get back to peace. He has called for more aggressive responses to pro-Palestinian protests at college campuses and applauded police efforts to clear encampments.

Vice PresidentKamala Harris

While Harris has often stressed her support for Israel and its right to defend itself, she has differed from Biden in more explicitly expressing concern for Palestinians. In March, she became one of the first major figures in the Biden administration to call for a cease-fire and has reportedly urged the president to put more pressure on Israel to address humanitarian concerns.

Former PresidentDonald Trump

The former president wants a dramatic expansion of tariffs on nearly all imported foreign goods. He’s suggested tariffs as high as 100% on Chinese goods. He treats these taxes as a way to fund other tax cuts, lower the deficit and possibly fund child care. Trump has proposed phasing out Chinese imports of essential goods and wants to ban Chinese companies from owning U.S. infrastructure in sectors such as energy, technology and farmland.

Vice PresidentKamala Harris

The Biden-Harris administration has sought to boost trade with allies in Europe, Asia and North America, while using tariffs and other tools to go after rivals, such as China. The Democratic administration kept Trump’s tariffs on China in place, while adding a ban on exporting advanced computer chips to that country and providing incentives to boost U.S. industries. In May, the Biden-Harris administration specifically targeted China with increased tariffs on electric vehicles and steel and aluminum, among other products.

Former PresidentDonald Trump

Trump has repeatedly taken issue with U.S. aid to Ukraine. Trump has assailed NATO member nations for failing to hit military spending targets. He drew alarms this year when he said that, as president, he would not only refuse to defend nations that don’t hit those targets, but “would encourage” Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” to countries that are “delinquent.”

Vice PresidentKamala Harris

Harris praises Biden’s efforts to rebuild alliances unraveled by Trump, particularly NATO. The Biden administration has pledged unceasing support for Ukraine against Russia’s invasion. The administration has maintained that U.S. assistance is critical because Russian leader Vladimir Putin will not stop with invading just Ukraine.

Former PresidentDonald Trump

Trump refuses to accept his 2020 loss to President Joe Biden and hasn’t committed to accepting 2024 results. Trump has repeatedly promised to pardon the Jan. 6 defendants. He vows to overhaul the Justice Department and FBI “from the ground up.” He has vowed to appoint a special prosecutor to go after Biden.

Vice PresidentKamala Harris

Harris has decried Trump as a threat to the nation’s democracy. Harris has leaned heavily into her personal background as a prosecutor and contrasted that with Trump being found guilty of 34 felony counts in a New York hush money case and in being found liable for fraudulent business practices and sexual abuse in civil court.