November 3rd. Trump vs. Biden. Which individual will represent the leader of the free world for the next four years? In this presidential election, voter turnout has been at the highest rate since 1908.
Over the past month, a record-breaking 97 million individuals across the United States have cast their ballots, two-thirds of which were through mail-in ballots. The polarization of either party is explained by the rallying support for each candidate: supporters of Donald Trump are extremely motivated to re-elect him, while the other side is set on voting him out. Biden has centered his closing arguments against President Donald Trump on the coronavirus pandemic and the economy.
1. Coronavirus Response
While Biden supports mask mandates nationwide to fight the pandemic, Trump does not. However, both candidates support federal action to expand testing across the country. They also support fast-tracking the development of a safe and effective vaccine. Companies like Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are on track to have their first vaccine out by January 2021. Both individuals support the reopening of school amid the pandemic in a safe manner. However, Trump believes we should withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO) over what he calls a “China-centric” coronavirus response. Meanwhile, Biden argues that he would reverse the withdrawal from the WHO on his first day in office.
2. Economy and Trade
On the topic of our economy, Biden supports raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour, while Trump is unclear about this topic. Trump has hinted at possible action on the minimum wage back in July and expressed openness to $15 per hour in 2019. Both candidates support the United States-Mexico-Canada trade deal, which had bipartisan support when Trump reworked the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Biden, however, says he credited “improvements that the labor and progressive movements” won during negotiations for his support. Biden and Trump support ‘Made in America’ policies, which ensures jobs and products are primarily domestic. Biden would fully support funding up to 12 weeks of paid family leave for American workers, while Trump would only take limited action on this including a measure pushed by House Democrats that guarantees 12 weeks of paid parental leave for federal workers. Finally, Trump has waged a trade war against China and fully supports tariffs on goods from China. Biden, who is harshly critical of Trump’s approach to China, would re-evaluate tariffs on Chinese products upon taking office.
The strengths and weaknesses of the Biden-Harris and Trump-Pence campaigns are contrasting in nature. It is up to the voters of the United States to elect the president they believe can best represent their differing viewpoints.