In a monumental presidential election, Donald Trump and Joe Biden are fighting for votes in the polls. Two of our writers, Robbie Nichols and Jack Thurlow, debate the positives and negatives of both candidates ahead of tonight’s results.
In support of Donald Trump
Believe it or not there are some perfectly legitimate reasons to vote for Donald Trump in the upcoming US presidential election. Contrary to opinion, Trump has not spent his entire four years in office antagonising political opponents on Twitter. His economic record before the pandemic and his spearheading of the peace deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates are just a couple of reasons that he deserves at least a modicum of praise. Here, I will not only be relaying some of Trumps achievements as president of the United States, but also questioning whether Joe Biden, the Democratic candidate for US president, has proven himself at all suitable for the role.
Before the disastrous global pandemic that seriously damaged economies around the world, Donald Trump had led the United States to its most prosperous economic state in some twenty-five years. Pre-COVID-19, wages among the poorest quarter of workers were growing by 4.7 per cent a year, whilst small-business confidence was close to a thirty-year peak. Arguably the best example of how the US has flourished under the economic guidance of the Trump administration is the introduction of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The act, which was responsible for both short-term and long-term economic growth, provided businesses with the incentive to increase investment, whilst also putting more money in consumers’ pockets.
It is also worth pointing out that Donald Trump took over an already healthy economy from Barack Obama. One may conclude from this that that would make his job easier. In fact, traditionally it is far more difficult to take over a booming economy and maintain it. Impressively, Trump not only maintained the growth that Obama oversaw, but took it to heights not seen in a quarter of a century. Whatever you think about Donald Trump’s character, his successes as the operator of America’s economy is undeniable.
Whilst his economic record is difficult to argue against, many will point to Donald Trump’s foreign policy as a source of concern. This year Trump was nominated for a Nobel Piece Prize for his role in advancing a peace and prosperity deal between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain – the first official diplomatic agreement between Israel and a major Arab country since 1994. The agreement is an historic step towards easing conflicts between these countries, while also hopefully encouraging other nations in the Middle East to follow in their footsteps. Moreover, passage between each state has now been made far easier as a result of the pact and economic growth and opportunity are set to rapidly accelerate (another tick in the economics column for Trump). For a man who is often criticised for feeding off chaos and disorder, Donald Trump has answered many of his detractors by means of championing this peace agreement.
Although I have outlined factors that advocate for Donald Trump as the president of the United States, he is far from perfect. Trump’s troubling presence on social media and his reaction to the Coronavirus pandemic are understandably sources of worry for potential voters. However, to suggest Joe Biden would be an effective leader would be a wild assumption. In fact, to even say that Biden and Trump are worlds apart as human beings would not necessarily be accurate. Many people like to say that Trump is a monster. Fair enough. He has said and done things throughout his presidency that would certainly back that up. But Joe Biden is a man that, during his vice presidency, backed deals to arm Israel and help them kill Palestinians. It is tough, then, to take him seriously when he attacks Donald Trump for his abhorrent behaviour.
In the run up to the election, or at least prior to the first presidential debates, Joe Biden was barely in the public eye at all, instead electing to sit back and allow Trump’s handling of the pandemic to derail his own campaign. Now, while that was a shrewd move from the former vice president of the United States, when we have seen him, he has cut a less than convincing figure as a potential leader of the free world. Though Trump has faltered during his handling of the pandemic, there is little evidence to suggest that a Democratic government would fare any better in attempting to combat the spread of the virus. One could also argue that during these unprecedented times, America needs somebody with a proven stellar economic record – something that Trump, not Biden, boasts.
In all honesty, like in 2016, Americans are not exactly spoilt for choice when they enter the voting ballots this year. This article is not about attempting to change anybody’s mind about who they should like or who they should vote for. This is simply about asking you to question whether Joe Biden and a Democratic government would lead the United States any better than Donald Trump has over the last four years.
In support of Joe Biden
Biden’s policies reflect what is need to help the country in terms of the big issues – namely being healthcare, the climate, and the economy.
Climate: Biden wants to re-join the Paris climate agreement and set a goal of the US reaching net zero emissions by 2050. Trump is a climate change sceptic, and wants to expand non-renewable energy. A $2 trillion investment in green energy and ban new contracts for oil and gas drilling.
Economy: Biden plans to raise taxes for those in the highest tax bracket (affecting those earning over $400,000 a year) to pay for the investment in public services. Also, wants to raise the minimum wage from $7.23 (£5.50) to $15 (£11.50)
Healthcare: Biden plans to protect and expand the Affordable Care Act created by Obama. He wants to lower the age of eligibility for Medicare from 65 to 60, and wants to provide a public health insurance plan like Medicare for all Americans. He has also promised free Covid-19 vaccines for all. Trump wants to repeal ACA. Abortion has always been a key issue in healthcare but it has been raised recently thanks to Trump’s nomination of Amy Coney Barrett, both of whom have openly opposed abortion rights in the past. Comparatively, Biden wants to work towards passing legislation that would guarantee protection for a woman’s right to an abortion.
Policing: The Black Lives Matter movement called major attention to the systemic racism present in the U.S. police forces. Biden has acknowledged systemic racism as a problem and has created policies to address racial disparities in the justice system. He wants to pair policing with social work, experts on mental health in order to provide police with more appropriate measures to deescalate situations. While he opposed the use of chokeholds, Trump denies that racism is a systemic problem in the police force.
Gun Control: Trump has suggested tightening background checks on gun buyers, though unsurprisingly nothing came of it and nothing has been said since. Biden however has proposed banning assault weapons, universal background checks, limiting the number of guns a person can purchase to one per month, and making it easier to sue negligent gun manufacturers/sellers.
By Jack Thurlow and Robbie Nichols
Note: This article does not represent any of our writers personal opinions and was written from an objective viewpoint.