Abortion, economy, immigration: Where do Trump and Harris stand on key issues?

By Olivia Mustafa, ITV News Producer
The United States’ presidential election is fast approaching, and the race between Democrat candidate Kamala Harris and her Republican rival Donald Trump is growing ever tighter.
Harris and Trump’s messaging on key issues, such as abortion, economy and immigration, could hold the power to sway undecided voters – and tip the balance in their favour.
Trump’s pledge to build a “big, beautiful wall” between the US and Mexico to curb immigration was one of the hallmarks of his successful 2016 campaign.
This year’s election is the first since the landmark Supreme Court ruling Roe v Wade was overturned – legislation which protected abortion as a fundamental right.
It will also be the first since the Covid-19 pandemic, and Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, both of which marred the US economy.
But what have Trump and Harris said on these topics – and what promises have they made?
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Abortion
Kamala Harris has been one of the most visible defender of abortion rights in the Democrat party, even before Joe Biden announced he was dropping out of the race in July.
She has said she wants to “reinstate the protections of Roe,” referring to Roe v. Wade, the constitutional right to abortion, which was overturned in 2022.
Harris has criticised abortion bans, the most severe of which have taken hold in at least 13 states. Along the campaign trail, she has been quick to blame Trump for the consequences of Roe v. Wade being overturned, saying the bans in some states amount to a denial of healthcare.
During her presidential debate with Trump in September, she said: “You want to talk about ‘this is what people wanted’?
“Pregnant women who want to carry a pregnancy to term, suffering from a miscarriage, being denied care in an emergency room because health care providers are afraid they might go to jail and she’s bleeding out in a car in the parking lot?”
Trump’s statements on abortion have been conflicting. At a recent rally, he announced he would be a “protector” of women, who will “no longer be thinking about abortion” if he becomes president again.
He has also taken credit for overturning Roe v. Wade, bragging about appointing the Supreme Court judges who managed to overturn the ruling.
However, he has ruled out a national abortion ban, and said he would not block access to abortion medication. Despite criticising existing abortion bans for being “too tough”, he has said individual states should have the power to decide.
He has expressed full support for “the three exceptions”, confirming he believes abortion should be available in cases or rape, incest and when the mother’s life is endangered.
Meanwhile, Trump’s wife Melania has voiced her support for abortion rights, in an apparent departure from her husband’s stance.
According to excerpts from her upcoming memoir revealed by the Guardian, the former first lady said there was “no room for compromise” for women’s “individual freedom”.
Economy
Harris has promised tax cuts for tens of millions of working and middle class Americans. She has also campaigned for delivering economic growth using higher taxes on businesses and the wealthy to fund more benefits for the middle class.
She said she would increase tax credits for first-time buyers of homes, and will push to build three million new houses across four years.
In a departure from Biden’s proposals, Harris will not raise capital gains tax as much as the current president had suggested on investors with an income of more than $1 million (£770,755).
Democrat policy towards trade under Biden and Harris so far has involved boosting trade with America’s allies, whilst using tariffs to punish states such as China.
Trump’s plan for economic growth involves cutting tax for corporations and the wealthy to encourage investment. He has also planned a universal tariff of up to 20%, using the investment to build factories.
Trump has also planned to remove tax breaks put in place by Biden to encourage the development of renewable energy and electric vehicles.
He has proposed getting rid of taxes on tips earned by workers, and on social security benefits. On housing, Trump aims to lower the cost of housing by opening up federal land to development.
Trump wants to apply tariffs to almost all goods imported to the US from abroad, particularly on China, on which he has suggested applying a 100% tariff.
Immigration
Harris has focused her stance on immigration around enforcing border security and tackling drug smuggling.
Referring to her time as California’s attorney general, Harris has spoken of walking through tunnels used by smugglers, and highlighted success in prosecuting narcotics gangs.
Harris blames Trump for blocking a bipartisan border security bill which would have seen tougher asylum standards, and bringing in more border agents, immigration judges and asylum officers. She has pledged to sign the legislation into law.
Meanwhile, Trump has promised to launch the largest domestic deportation in US history, echoing promises he made during his 2016 election campaign. During his administration, deportations failed to top the numbers seen under Obama’s presidency.
He has promised to use the National Guard to carry out deportations, and said hundreds of thousands of immigrants who came to the US under two of Biden’s schemes will be removed.
Trump has also pledged to expand a travel ban targeted at Muslims, and end “birthright citizenship” for those born in the US to parents who are illegally in the country.
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