Here are the major points that each candidate is running on this year… 

The Crime and Justice System

Trump – Trump is against both defunding and abolishing the police. He is for the continuation of the death penalty. He is against businesses being able to ask for an applicant’s criminal history. He is against ending the cash bail system. He is currently against a ban on assault rifles, but has supported it in the past, most notably back in 2000 when he attempted to run for president through the reform party. He supports private prisons. He has never given a clear or solid answer on whether or not background checks should be required to buy guns. 

Biden – Biden is against both the defunding and abolition of the police. He is currently against the death penalty, but in the past he consistently supported it as a senator. He is against businesses being able to ask applicants for their criminal history. He supports ending the cash bail system. He is for the ban on assault weapons. He is against the use of private prisons. He supports universal background checks before someone can buy a gun. 

Domestic Policy

Trump – Trump is currently against taking down confederate statues, but showed signs of supporting it in June 2020 if the process went through a legal system. He is currently against D.C. gaining statehood. There is not a clear position regarding whether or not the Guantanamo Bay detention center should remain open. He has not delivered a clear answer on holding up treaties with Native communities. He is against Net Neutrality. He supports paid family and medical leave. He is against employees of public sectors (working for the government or the state) being able to unionize. He is currently against Puerto Rico gaining statehood but in 2017/18 he seemed to support it. He has given no clear answer on if recreational marijuana should be legal federally. He supports government regulations on social media to prevent “Fake News” or misinformation. He is against the government providing universal childcare.

Biden – Biden supports confederate statues being taken down. He supports D.C. being granted statehood. He wants to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center. He supports the treaties made with Native communities. He helped push Net Neutrality under Obama, but has made no statement on it in this election. He supports paid family and medical leave. He supports public sector employees being able to unionize. He has made no clear stance on Puerto Rican statehood. He is against recreational marijuana being legalized federally. He supports the government regulating social media to prevent the spread of “Fake News” and misinformation. He is against Universal childcare.

Economy

Trump – Trump is against the economy being shut down for the coronavirus. He is against any form of reparations paid to the descendants of slaves. He is against federal taxes being increased. He is currently against the federal minimum wage being increased. He is for welfare benefits having work requirements. Trump has made no comment on Universal Basic Income (UBI). He is currently against a wealth tax (a tax on a person’s net worth instead of just their annual income) but in April 2016 he claimed to support it. 

Biden – Biden supports the economy shutting down for the coronavirus. He has made no comment on paying reparations to the descendants of slaves. He supports federal tax increases. He supports the federal minimum wage being increased. He has not made any comments on welfare benefits having work requirements. He is against UBI. He is against a wealth tax. 

Education

Trump – Trump supports schools reopening during the coronavirus pandemic. He supports for-profit charter schools receiving federal funding. He is against schools being gun-free zones. He supports increasing federal funding for historically Black universities and colleges. He has made no comment on forgiving student loan debt. He supports giving more protection to students accused of sexual assault under Title IX. He has made no comment on if public colleges should be tuition free. 

Biden – He supports schools reopening during the coronavirus pandemic. He is against for-profit charter schools receiving federal funding. He supports schools being gun-free zones. He supports increasing funding to historically Black universities and colleges. He currently supports forgiving student loan debt. He is against giving students accused of sexual assault more protection under Title IX. He supports public colleges being tuition free. 

Elections

Trump – Trump is currently against abolishing the electoral college. He has made no clear stance on former felons being allowed to vote. He currently supports presidential election candidates being able to accept support from Super PACs but in 2015 he was against it. He is against expanding voting by mail. He supports photo ID being required to vote. 

Biden – Biden has made no comments on abolishing the electoral college. He supports felons being allowed to vote. He has made no position clear on presidential candidates accepting Super PACs. He supports expanding voting by mail. He’s against photo ID’s being required for voting. 

Environment 

Trump – He has made no clear position on enforcing a carbon tax. He is against the Clean Water Act. He supports expanding fossil fuel extraction on public land. He supports fracking. He is against the Green New Deal. He supports the Keystone XL pipeline being built. He supports expanding the use of nuclear power. He is against the US joining the Paris Climate agreement.

Biden – Biden supports the move towards 100% clean energy. He supports enforcing a carbon tax. He supports the Clean Water Act. He’s against expanding fossil fuel extraction on public land. He supports fracking. He supports adopting a climate change plan. He is against the Keystone XL pipeline being built. He supports the expansion of nuclear power. He supports rejoining the Paris climate agreement. 

Foreign Policy

Trump – Trump supports maintaining the tariffs being imposed on China. He is against easing or canceling the embargo on Cuba. He is against re-entering the Nuclear Deal with Iran. He believes that we need to increase the military budget to improve national security. He supports withdrawing from the Open Skies Treaty. He supports pulling troops out of the Middle East. He supports the action to withdraw US troops from Northern Syria (defending Kurdish allies). 

Biden – Biden is against maintaining the tariffs placed on China. He supports easing the embargo on Cuba. He supports re-entering the Nuclear Deal with Iran. He is against increasing the military budget. He does not agree with withdrawing from the Open Skies Treaty. He supports withdrawing troops from the Middle East, but disagrees with the move to withdraw troops from defending Kurdish allies in Northern Syria. 

Healthcare

Trump – Trump is currently against abortion rights, but in 2011 he supported them. He supports Americans being able to import prescription drugs. He is against switching to a Medicare-for-all system. He supports increasing availability of Naloxone to help prevent opioid overdose. He does not support the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). He supports government intervention to lower prescription drug costs. He supports government intervention in ending surprise medical billing. He supports the US leaving the World Health Organization (WHO). 

Biden – Biden supports abortion rights and Roe vs. Wade. He supports Americans being able to import prescription drugs. He’s against switching to a Medicare-for-all system. He supports availability to Naloxone to help prevent opioid overdoses. He supports Obamacare. He supports the federal government lowering the costs of prescription drugs. He supports government intervention in ending surprise medical billing. He’s against leaving WHO.

Immigration

Trump – Trump supports continuing to build the wall on the US/Mexican border. He has no clear position on DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). He is against decriminalizing illegal border crossing. He supports denying citizenship for immigrants who entered the US illegally. He supports limiting the number of Green Card holders. 

Biden – Biden is currently against continuing to build the US/Mexico border wall. He is against ending DACA. He is against decriminalizing illegal border crossing. He is against stopping people from applying for citizenship if they came into the country illegally. He is against limiting the number of Green Card holders. 

LGBTQ+

Trump – Trump supports adoption agencies being able to refuse LGBTQ+ couples. He is against LGBTQ+ people having protections from being fired for their identity. He supports businesses being able to deny LGBTQ+ customers under religious freedom laws. He is against transgender people being able to serve in the military. 

Biden – Biden is against adoption agencies being able to refuse LGBTQ+ couples. He supports transgender people being able to choose the gender that matches on government documents. He supports LGBTQ+ people having protection from being fired for their identities. He is against businesses being able to refuse service to LGBTQ+ customers. He supports transgender people being able to serve in the military. 

There are a lot of websites that will give you a list just like this, but thank you for tuning in with me specifically. Remember that in this election and all future ones, to choose your candidate wisely and actually do research. It’s also good to remember that just because they say they’ll do something doesn’t mean that they will. Consider looking up their past voting record as well before you make your choice.

Works Cited

“Compare 2020 Presidential Candidate Positions.” ProCon., 2020election.procon.org/view.source-summary-chart.php. 

Politico. www.politico.com/2020-election/candidates-views-on-the-issues/. 

“Tracking The Issues In The 2020 Election.” NPR, www.npr.org/series/758097234/election-2020-issue-tracker.