Republican candidates Donald J. Trump and JD Vance say the nation has been in “serious decline” since the Biden/Harris administration took over nearly four years ago. Their proposed fixes…
Tariffs and Taxes
•Trump has called “tariff” the “most beautiful word” in the English language. His policy supports “baseline” tariffs on foreign-made goods and passage of the Trump Reciprocal Trade Act, which would impose a 10% tariff on imports from all countries and a 60% tariff on Chinese imports.
•Make permanent provisions of the Trump Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which doubled the standard deduction and expanded the child tax credit (they expire in 2025). Eliminate taxes on tips for restaurant and hospitality workers, and “pursue additional tax cuts.”
Energy
•The platform claims the US became the number one producer of oil and natural gas in the world under the Trump administration and will be number-one again by lifting restrictions on American energy production, including nuclear power, and by terminating the “Socialist” Green New Deal.
•Trump claims lowering fuel costs for transportation of goods will bring down the inflation rate.
Affordable Housing
•Platform claims inflation-slashing will reduce mortgage rates and help new home buyers. The platform also calls for opening limited portions of federal lands for new home construction and promotes home ownership via tax incentives and support for first-time buyers. It would also cut “unnecessary” regulations that raise housing costs.
Deregulation
•Slash wasteful government spending and promote economic growth to stabilize the economy.
•Cut burdensome regulations by reinstating Trump administration deregulation policies, which the platform says saved Americans $11,000 per household.
•Lead the world in the emerging industries of crypto, artificial intelligence and space to “pave the way for future economic greatness.”
Healthcare
•Increase transparency, promote choice and competition and expand access to new affordable healthcare and prescription drug options. Also protect Medicare from the “Democrat plan to add tens of millions of new illegal immigrants” to its rolls.
•Shift resources back to at-home senior care, overturn disincentives that lead to care worker shortages and support unpaid family caregivers through tax credits and reduced red tape.
Education
•Support universal school choice for every US state, support schools that focus on excellence and parental rights, end teacher tenure and adopt merit pay.
•Defund public schools that engage in “inappropriate” political indoctrination of our children of federal taxpayer dollars.
•Stand up to those who violate the religious freedom of American students. Champion the right to pray and read the bible in school.
Immigration
•Stop illegal immigration, secure the border, deport illegal aliens and reverse Democratic Party open border policies that the platform says have driven up the cost of housing, education and healthcare for American families. Trump has said publicly he intends to deport as much as 20 million illegal aliens.
•Complete the Trump administration’s border wall and shift “massive portions” of federal law enforcement to immigration enforcement. “We will use all resources needed to stop the invasion – including moving thousands of troops currently stationed overseas to our own southern border.”
•Restore the Trump administration’s travel ban and use Title 42 to end the child trafficking crisis” by returning the children to their home countries.
•Use existing federal law to keep “foreign Christian-hating Communists, Marxists, and Socialists out of America. … We will use extreme vetting to ensure that jihadists and jihadist sympathizers are not admitted.”
•Cut federal funding to sanctuary cities that release “dangerous illegal alien criminals” rather than turn them over to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
•Make merit-based immigration a priority so those admitted to the US contribute positively to US society and economy.
Foreign Policy
•Stop wars by ending global chaos and restoring “peace through strength” via a buildup of the American military. Trump has said he will end the war in the Ukraine in a day by negotiating with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
•Stand with Israel and seek peace in the Middle East.
Abortion
•Trump claimed victory when the US Supreme Court, including his three appointees, overturned Roe v. Wade in their 6-3 ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. After the 2022 midterm elections indicated heavy voter opposition to the Dobbsruling, Trump changed his position on the issue and now says it is a state’s issue on whether and how to restrict abortion.