Photo by Andrew Harnik via Foreign Policy Magazine
As the 2024 presidential election draws near, this article outlines the key policy issues shaping the Trump administration’s campaign, focusing on topics like the economy, climate change, and immigration. By examining these critical areas, voters can better understand the administration’s priorities and vision, regardless of political affiliation.
Economy:
In the last few years, the economy has seen the largest decline since the Great Recession, and as a result, many Americans are struggling to meet their basic needs. One of the Trump administration’s goals is deregulation. This includes reducing burdensome business regulations, including environmental, financial, and labor rules, to foster a more business-friendly environment and boost growth.
In a discussion about the root causes of inflation, Trump pointed to energy, which includes resources like oil, gas, and electricity, as a critical factor that is often overlooked. “The first thing you have to do is get energy down. If you get energy down, other things are going to follow,” he explained, highlighting the cascading effect of energy costs on the broader economy. Many experts agree, estimating that energy accounts for 10-15% of the entire economy, with its influence spanning multiple sectors. Trump elaborated on his solution, stating, “I believe I’ll be able to get energy down to 50% of what it is right now, in a period of less than a year,” citing drilling and harvesting energy from our own nation as key strategies. He confidently added, “If we do this, all the inflated prices are going to come down with it.”
The Trump administration also plans to boost the economy by imposing tariffs on foreign countries seeking to do business with the United States. “We have the biggest economy in the world. Every business, every foreign country, every competitor wants access to American markets. If you want access to American markets, you can’t use Chinese slave labor to produce your products, you have got to be able to use American workers, and that is the whole thrust of Donald Trump’s economic policy” Vice presidential candidate JD Vance said.
Climate Change:
On the increasing concern of climate change, Vance said, “Donald Trump and I support clean air and clean water; we want the environment to be cleaner and safer.” Vance continued by addressing the belief that carbon emissions are the primary driver of climate change. He said that if this is the case, “the answer would be to reshore as much American manufacturing as possible and produce as much energy as possible in the United States of America, because we are the cleanest economy in the entire world.” Vance argued that Kamala Harris’s policies have produced the opposite result, leading to “more energy production in China, more manufacturing overseas, more doing business in some of the dirtiest parts of the world” when referencing the high carbon emissions these regions produce per unit of economic output.
The Trump administration believes that ignoring the critical lack of safety regulations for both workers and the environment by outsourcing energy production does not contribute positively to climate change efforts. Instead, it shifts responsibility and potential harm to regions with fewer protections, ultimately undermining global climate goals. “If we actually care about getting cleaner air and cleaner water, the best thing to do is to double down and invest in American workers and the American people” Vance said.
Immigration:
As of 2024, the U.S. faces over $35 trillion in debt and, according to the Trump administration, cannot sustain the financial burden of the more than 6.6 million illegal aliens that have crossed the border in the past four years. The Trump administration is committed to ending the abuse of the welfare system, ensuring the billions of taxpayer dollars that are spent each year on illegal aliens are instead used to aide struggling middle-class Americans and the over 33,000 homeless veterans across the country.
The Trump administration’s approach to addressing the border crisis is centered around strict border enforcement and immigration reform. Key strategies and policies that reduced illegal immigration to its lowest levels since the 1970s during Trump’s first term will be reinstated and strengthened.
To reduce fraudulent asylum claims, the Trump administration plans to reinstate strategies, such as the “Remain in Mexico” policy, and end the “Catch and Release” policy. Its broader approach to immigration and public safety will be to prioritize the deportation of illegal aliens starting with the 435,719 convicted criminals housed in taxpayer-funded jails and prisons.
Abortion:
The Trump administration has made a firm stance in support of the protection of unborn babies. It advocates for leaving the decision to the states, empowering the people rather than expanding federal control. Trump said, “This fifty-year battle of Roe V. Wade took it out of the federal hands and brought it into the hearts, minds, and votes of the people in each state.”
Trump went on to say that “Like Ronald Reagan, I am strongly in favor of exceptions [for abortion] for rape, incest, and life of the mother.”
Many pro-choice states are concerned about the possibility of a national abortion ban. Vance clarified the Trump administration’s stance in a recent interview when he said, “President Trump has been clear, a national abortion ban is not on the table, he would not support it, and he would not sign it.”
When pressed further on the subject, Vance said, “a national abortion ban is a ridiculous hypothetical because if it was brought before the United States Senate right now it would get at best ten senators out of one hundred.”
Foreign Policy:
The Trump administration’s foreign policy centers around the “America First” principle. This policy framework reflects a desire to shift U.S. resources and attention toward domestic needs while ensuring that international partnerships enhance American security and economic well-being. By aligning with key allies, who contribute to regional safety, the administration aims to create a foreign policy that is both pragmatic and beneficial to American citizens.
When emphasizing the necessity of making tough choices in foreign policy and allocating resources strategically, Vance said, “America cannot manufacture enough weapons to support four different wars in four different corners of the world. We just can’t do it. …We have to pick and choose. We have to identify where our interests are most important, and we have to try to divert American foreign power [from other nations’ wars] to focus on those particular things.”