Biden and Trump: Compare where they stand on key issues
May 15, 2024
The 2024 presidential election will give voters a stark choice between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, two men who couldn’t be further apart on a number of policies. Here’s a look at where they stand on key issues.
Democracy
Jan. 6 Justice
Condemnation
Biden has described the Jan. 6, 2021, attack as a “mob of extremists and terrorists” who “launched a violent and deadly assault on the People’s House and the sacred ritual to certify a free and fair election.” While he does not have a direct role in the prosecution of Jan. 6 rioters, his Justice Department appointees have overseen what has shaped up to be one of the largest investigations in American history, securing hundreds of convictions on charges ranging from misdemeanors to seditious conspiracy, as well as sentences ranging from probation to 22 years in federal prison, for the leader of the Proud Boys.
Pardons
On Jan. 6, Trump called those who showed up at the Capitol “very special” in a message urging rioters to go home, and he sent a tweet describing the attack as “the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long.”
As outgoing president, Trump said in the aftermath of the attack that those who broke the law would “pay.” He’s since changed his tune, falsely claiming that rioters were “hugging and kissing” the police and describing them as “hostages” and “unbelievable patriots.” Trump has promised he’ll pardon at least “a large portion” of the rioters and vowed to “free the Jan. 6 Hostages” as one of his very first acts in office.
2020 Election
Won the election
Biden won the 2020 election.
Lost the election
Trump lost the 2020 election.
Nevertheless, Trump refused to concede and promoted an array of conspiracy theories about the election in the lead-up to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Many Jan. 6 defendants have described themselves as gullible idiots for falling for Trump’s lies about the 2020 election, regretting that they did so much damage to their own lives because they could not sort out fact from fiction. But Trump continues to spread lies about the 2020 election, while his lawyers in the federal election interference case have tried to argue that the former president’s 2020 election concerns were “not unreasonable.”
Economy
Electric vehicles
Prioritize electric vehicles
Biden has made increasing the availability and production of electric vehicles core to his presidency, using a combination of carrots and sticks to encourage electric vehicle manufacturing in the U.S. as he seeks to address climate change by slowly phasing out gas-powered vehicles. But his administration has already slashed ambitious targets, cutting its goal for electric vehicle adoption from 67% by 2032 to about half that amount after pushback from auto industry and labor leaders.
Threat to the auto industry
Trump has centered Biden’s electric vehicle efforts in his campaign as a threat to the auto industry and U.S. economy as a whole, pledging to repeal all of Biden’s efforts in this space. He has said he is not against electric vehicles themselves but has portrayed them as less reliable than gas-powered counterparts.
Housing
Tax credit for new homebuyers
Biden has proposed a $10,000 tax credit spread over two years for first-time homebuyers to offset higher interest rates. To help increase the inventory of lower-cost homes, Biden has proposed a one-year tax credit of up to $10,000 for middle-class families who sell a home that is below the median price in the area. He has also proposed building or renovating more than 2 million housing units and offering $25,000 in down-payment assistance to first-generation homebuyers.
Encourage new construction
A Trump campaign official said Trump would lower housing costs by encouraging the construction of new housing on the “periphery of cities and suburban areas” where land is cheapest and cancel Biden’s “anti-suburban housing regulation.” A Trump administration would also “unleash American energy and rein in Biden’s out of control spending” to lower inflation and mortgage rates, the official said. During his time as president, Trump initially sought to reduce barriers to building high-density housing. But in 2020, he spoke out against building affordable housing in suburban areas, saying he would prevent a “dystopian vision of building low-income housing units next to your suburban house.”
Taxes
Unwind some Trump tax cuts
Biden wants to unwind the Trump tax cuts for Americans making over $400,000, and raise the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%. His platform also proposes a $3,600-per-child tax break for families, an $800 average tax cut for “front-line workers” and a 25% minimum tax on billionaires.
Extend Trump tax cuts
Trump favors “extending the Trump tax cuts” if he is elected, according to a campaign official. Major portions of that 2017 tax law expire at the end of 2025.
Trade
No across-the-board tariffs
Biden opposes across-the-board tariffs — but favors some targeted tariffs, such as steel and aluminum from China, accusing the country of unfair trade practices.
Yes to across-the-board tariffs
Trump proposes to impose a 10% tariff across all imported goods. Trump told Fox News in February that it could be 60% — maybe even “more than that” — on imports of Chinese goods. Trump is a longtime skeptic of trade deals.
Education
Education
Public education funding
Biden supports more funding for public education — particularly in lower-income communities — and universal preschool. Biden said during his most recent State of the Union address that he wants to “expand high-quality tutoring and summer learning” and increase teacher pay. Biden also supports affirmative action for college admissions, saying he “strongly” disagreed with the Supreme Court’s June 2023 ruling effectively gutting the practice.
Cut the Education Department
Trump wants to “get rid” of the Education Department and “let local areas and, frankly, states handle education.” In September 2023, Trump released a 10-point plan that included “restoring parental rights,” proposals relating to students’ gender identity, and allowing for the direct election of principals. Trump also proposed incentivizing schools to eliminate teacher tenure, reinstating a commission focused on teaching U.S. history and allowing for "universal school choice." Trump cheered the Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision.
Student loan debt
Forgiveness
Biden wants to forgive some student loans and make community college tuition-free. He has said that “while a college degree still is a ticket to the middle class, that ticket is becoming much too expensive.” The Supreme Court blocked Biden’s attempt to cancel student debt for millions of lower-income Americans and Pell Grant recipients. But his administration has taken other actions to cancel $153 billion worth of debt for more than 4 million Americans, per the White House.
No forgiveness
Trump has pushed for cuts to programs that assist with student loan forgiveness but did suspend interest on student loan payments during the coronavirus pandemic. After the Supreme Court blocked Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan, Trump said at a June 2023 campaign event that Biden’s plan “would have been very unfair to the millions of people who have paid their debt through hard work and diligence.”
Foreign policy
China
National security issue
Biden called Xi Jinping a “dictator” last year after a private summit meeting. The president views America’s rivalry with China chiefly through a national security lens, as opposed to Trump, who tends to see it more in trade and economic terms. Biden has sought to fortify and expand U.S. alliances in hopes of restraining China’s power, notably through a pact with Australia and the United Kingdom that involves the sale of nuclear submarines to Australia. Biden has also struck a hawkish posture toward China when it comes to a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan. Biden has warned that the U.S. would respond militarily if China were to attack. The White House later walked back his remarks.
Higher tariffs
Trump wants to hit China with high tariffs. He says U.S. workers have suffered under what he calls unfair trade practices that have benefited China. If elected, he said in an interview in February that he would impose tariffs of at least 60% on Chinese goods. Trump also plans to institute a four-year plan to boost manufacturing in the U.S. so that the nation doesn’t need to rely on China for crucial goods. And he says he would bar China from taking ownership of what he calls “critical infrastructure” in the U.S. At times, Trump has praised Xi Jinping, calling him “brilliant.”
Israel/Gaza
Support, and some criticism, for Israel
Biden wants to stop the war from escalating and broker a cease-fire that includes the return of hostages and ultimately leads to a two-state solution. He has pushed Israel to limit civilian casualties and protect the delivery of more humanitarian aid. Biden has been critical of Israel’s execution of the war and specifically of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he has privately referred to as an “a--hole,” but he has not substantially shifted U.S. support for the Jewish state. He urged Congress to send him an aid package for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan.
‘Fast’ end to the war
The Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel never would have happened if he were president, Trump insists. He has pushed for a quick end to the war, telling conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt in April: “They have to get it done. Get it over with and get it over with fast.” He has not said under what conditions Israel should agree to stop its military campaign, but he has also not suggested any support for Palestinians. His criticism of Israel has been limited to its struggles on the public-relations front. He has not articulated his own plan for peace in the Middle East.
NATO/U.S. alliances
Support
Biden strongly supports NATO and international alliances. Biden made restoring international trust in Washington a centerpiece of his campaign against Trump in 2020. As president, he has championed NATO as a force for democracy and U.S. security, rallying the alliance to counter Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and pushing it to add new members for the first time in years. Biden touts his warm relations with European and other allied leaders. And some of the largest crowds he has addressed as president have been Europe. Biden has also defended the United Nations as essential to “preserve peace, prevent conflict, and alleviate human suffering.”
Criticism
Trump’s “America First” ethos is skeptical of any international obligations that might encumber American sovereignty or cost it money. Trump has repeatedly said he believes other NATO countries are essentially mooching off the U.S. by not spending enough of their own money on defense. He has even threatened to pull the U.S. out of NATO. Similarly, Trump has a dim view of the United Nations and multilateral treaties like arms control agreements. “The future does not belong to the globalists. The future belongs to patriots,” Trump said at the U.N. General Assembly in 2019, underscoring his commitment to nationalism over internationalism.
Ukraine
Backs support for Ukraine
Biden has been resolute in his support for Ukraine. His administration has provided Ukraine tens of billions of dollars in financial assistance and weaponry, keeping the embattled nation from being swallowed up by Russia. A constant refrain from White House officials is that the way to end the war is for Russia to withdraw its forces — something Russian President Vladimir Putin shows no interest in doing. Until that happens, Biden says he is intent on shoring up Ukraine’s defenses, warning that if Putin wins the war he may be emboldened to move further west and attack NATO countries.
Aid as a loan
Trump has said that if elected, he’d stop the war between Ukraine and Russia within 24 hours — without offering many details about how he’d do so. In September, he said he did not want to reveal his plan in order to preserve his “bargaining chips.” Throughout his presidency, Trump sought to remain on good terms with Putin. On the eve of Russia’s invasion, Trump described Putin’s recognition of two breakaway Ukrainian territories as “very savvy” and “genius.” Earlier this year, Trump embraced the idea of giving additional aid to Ukraine in the form of a “loan” rather than a “gift.”
Social issues
Abortion
Restore Roe
As a Catholic, Biden has admitted his struggles with the issue. He has vowed he will work to restore Roe v. Wade as the “law of the land” and made it a centerpiece of his re-election. Biden acknowledges Democrats would have to win both chambers of Congress to do that. Last year, Biden said he supported the trimester framework of Roe, which protected abortion until viability of the fetus. In his 2020 presidential run, he dropped his longtime support for the Hyde Amendment banning federal funding for abortions. As president, Biden’s administration has protected access to abortion pills and strengthened access to contraception.
States’ rights
Trump once supported abortion rights, but that changed with his 2016 White House run. Trump proudly takes credit for overturning Roe v. Wade after appointing three conservative justices who voted with the majority. After flirting with the idea of endorsing a national abortion ban, Trump announced he supported states’ rights on abortion procedures and that he would not sign a federal ban. As president, he supported a 20-week federal ban. Trump says he supports exceptions for rape, incest and the life and health of a woman and has said Republicans who don’t do that are risking their political future. He opposes taxpayer funding for abortions.
Affordable Care Act
Preserve it
Biden wants to preserve the health care law, push back on attempts to repeal it and extend expiring subsidies. A portion of expanded ACA subsidies passed by Biden and Democrats is set to expire after 2025. Biden has called for extending them. Vice president when it passed, Biden has embraced the law and consistently sought to defend it against Republican attempts to repeal or unravel it.
Change it
Trump has called for changes but hasn’t offered a plan. As president, Trump fought to eliminate the ACA, including its regulations on insurers and its subsidies for coverage. He succeeded at zeroing out the individual mandate penalty for not carrying insurance. He used executive action to loosen some ACA regulations and endorsed litigation to wipe out the law. In November 2023, he revived calls for replacing the ACA, criticizing Republicans who didn’t want to “terminate” it and vowing not to “give up.” More recently, he has softened his rhetoric and said he simply wants to improve the ACA, not terminate it. But his campaign hasn’t said how.
Climate change
Prioritize climate policy
Biden wants to reprioritize climate change mitigation, in part by reversing Trump-era decisions and including climate policy in key legislation. The president rejoined the global climate pact known as the Paris Agreement, reissuing the pledge to cut the nation’s emissions. His signature domestic policy legislation, the Inflation Reduction Act, included significant clean energy spending and tax credits for electric vehicles. And his administration is calling for new energy efficiency standards for vehicles and various appliances.
Relax environmental regulations
Trump wants to cut regulations and withdraw from the major international climate treaty. He withdrew from the Paris Agreement in the early months of his administration, and as president, he relaxed a slew of environmental regulations, including emission and pollution rules for coal-fired power plants, arguing the rules were stifling job creation. If elected, Trump has promised to “drill, baby, drill” for fossil fuels, “remove all red tape” around oil and natural gas projects, withdraw from the Paris accord again, and “oppose all of the radical left’s Green New Deal policies that are designed to shut down the development of America’s abundant energy resources.”
Crime
Mix of reforms
Biden proposes a mix of reforms and is trying to distance himself from progressives on some crime issues. He signed an executive order to end private prison contracts, has called on Congress to pass police reform and pushed to end solitary confinement (although the use of the practice had been increasing under his presidency). But he also lent a hand to GOP efforts to block D.C.’s crime law changes amid criticism they didn’t go far enough and has called for an increase in crime prevention and police funding.
Tough-on-crime approach
As president, Trump championed a tough-on-crime approach but also promoted landmark criminal justice reform. Amid the 2020 racial justice protests sparked by several high-profile police killings of Black Americans, Trump harshly criticized protesters and wrote on Twitter in response to protests in Minnesota that “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.” On the campaign trail, he almost exclusively emphasizes that severe approach, accusing Biden’s policies of failing to curb violent crime. He’s also repeatedly accused the Justice Department of pursuing political prosecutions of him and unfairly going after his supporters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Federal workforce
Defend civil servant protections
His administration recently approved a new measure through the formal rulemaking process that would make it harder for a future president to fire career civil servants, though Trump allies view the rule as more of a speed bump rather than a roadblock. Biden and his allies have defended civil servant protections as integral to the government’s ability to properly function and for career officials to be able to maintain independence from political appointees and elected officials.
Make it easier to fire civil servants
Trump wants to reimpose a short-lived executive order from late in his administration known as “Schedule F,” which would make it easier to fire certain career civil servants. Trump and his allies have viewed the protections enjoyed by federal workers as detrimental to their policy goals. Trump also wants to crack down on government whistleblowers and create independent auditors to monitor U.S. intelligence agencies.
Immigration
Backs bipartisan bill
Biden supports a bipartisan bill by Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla., Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., that would raise the bar for asylum-seekers to enter the country and to be approved, as well as give the president more power to turn away new arrivals if migration levels hit certain triggers. Biden also favors the U.S. Citizenship Act, which creates a pathway to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally as long as they pass a background check and pay their taxes.
Immigration crackdown
Trump promises a crackdown on migration. His campaign website says: “President Trump will shut down Biden’s border disaster. He will again end catch-and-release, restore Remain in Mexico, and eliminate asylum fraud. In cooperative states, President Trump will deputize the National Guard and local law enforcement to assist with rapidly removing illegal alien gang members and criminals.”
Marijuana
Reforms
As a presidential candidate in 2020, Biden said he would “decriminalize cannabis use.” In 2022, he ordered the Food and Drug Administration to review marijuana’s potential medical benefits in an attempt to ease federal restrictions. And in a historic first, Biden used his 2024 State of the Union address to briefly mention marijuana reforms. He has also issued several rounds of mass pardons for people who have committed federal marijuana possession offenses, but he did not actually expunge convictions as he has claimed (as recently as in his 2024 State of the Union speech) – something that isn’t possible without congressional action.
Mixed messages
As a candidate in 2016, Trump said he “likes” cannabis when used for medicinal purposes and believes the drug’s health benefits should be studied further. He has repeatedly said legalizing marijuana recreationally should be left up to each individual state. More recently, he acknowledged that legalizing cannabis is a “pretty popular thing” among voters. But Trump also questioned marijuana’s helpfulness to people who use it, arguing without evidence that it does “significant damage.” His administration took several anti-marijuana actions, including rescinding an Obama-era policy that directed officials not to pursue marijuana-related prosecutions in states where the drug is legal.
Transgender rights
Supports
Biden supports transgender rights. The Biden administration expanded Title IX protections to include trans and other LGBTQ people, though it punted on addressing the hot-button question of trans athletes in college sports. Biden has also repeatedly defended trans Americans from discrimination in his public remarks, issuing annual proclamations on Transgender Day of Visibility, urging Congress to pass the Equality Act and using his first State of the Union address to say to trans people, “I want you to know your president has your back.”
Opposes
Trump is opposed to expanding transgender rights. Trump has said Biden’s Title IX expansion is “insane” and going to “destroy women’s sports.” He has vowed to use federal power to try to: stop gender-affirming care for minors, which he equates with “child abuse”; impose “severe consequences” for teachers who discuss transitioning with students; and discourage the promotion of gender transitioning for Americans of any age. During his previous term, Trump’s administration considered officially defining gender as an immutable biological condition determined at birth, which would make it impossible for people to change gender in the eyes of the law.
Tech
TikTok
Divest or ban it
Biden signed a bill into law in April that could ban the social media behemoth — but not until after the election. Biden has made limited remarks about TikTok, but several top administration officials have warned that the Chinese government’s access to TikTok’s algorithms and user data makes it a serious national security threat. The new law, which forces TikTok’s Chinese owner to sell it to a U.S. business or face a ban, comes two years after Biden barred nearly all of the 4 million federal workers from using TikTok on government devices. Despite his crackdown, the Biden campaign plans to keep using TikTok through Election Day to reach voters.
Inconsistent
Trump is inconsistent on the issue. In August 2020, months before that year’s election, Trump issued an executive order that would have banned TikTok in the U.S., citing national security concerns. But the courts stepped in and halted the ban. Four years later, as Biden prepared to sign the tough TikTok bill into law, Trump flip-flopped on the issue. Trump posted on Truth Social that young voters should know that “Crooked Joe Biden is responsible for banning TikTok” and that he’s “doing it to help his friends over at Facebook become richer and more dominant.” Then, in June, Trump joined TikTok, posting a video of himself attending a UFC event and calling it an “honor” to be on the app.
Social Security
No benefit cuts
Biden says he wants no benefit cuts and would raise taxes on upper earners to fund the long-term shortfall. As the White House put it in its March budget proposal, “The President believes that protecting Social Security should start with asking the highest-income Americans to pay their fair share.” The White House has also called for “improving” some Social Security benefits including supplemental income for seniors and disabled people.
Muddled
Trump’s position is muddled. In March, he said he doesn’t favor any benefit cuts: “I will never do anything that will jeopardize or hurt Social Security or Medicare.” Days earlier, he was asked about the future of programs like Social Security and said that “there’s a lot you can do in terms of entitlements, in terms of cutting.” He has not proposed a plan to cover the long-term solvency issues of Social Security. His campaign wouldn’t respond when asked if he prefers to address it by adding new revenues or by spending less.