Donald J. Trump - Policy stance

Fiscal Policy

The GOP platform makes references to slashing or "reining in" wasteful spending 1.

Stephen Moore, a senior visiting fellow in economics, wants a greater emphasis on 'fiscal responsibility and cutting government spending' than in Trump's first term 2.

The Trump campaign promises to curb inflation and address spiraling crime rates if re-elected 3.

Abortion

Donald Trump has positioned abortion as an issue to be determined by states rather than at the federal level 4.

He has taken credit for the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade, owing to his appointment of three conservative justices 5 6.

Critics, including the Biden-Harris campaign, argue that Trump’s actions, such as overturning Roe v. Wade, have caused significant harm to women’s reproductive rights 7 8.

4: Trump, who formally became the Republican presidential nominee last week, has tried to distance himself from abortion bans and has taken the position that abortion should be left to the states. The Dobbs decision, however, was possible thanks to his appointment of three conservative justices to the Supreme Court — a fact he has bragged about on the campaign trail. His newly minted running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, has an anti-abortion track record. View Source5: Trump, who formally became the Republican presidential nominee last week, has tried to distance himself from abortion bans and has taken the position that abortion should be left to the states. The Dobbs decision, however, was possible thanks to his appointment of three conservative justices to the Supreme Court — a fact he has bragged about on the campaign trail. His newly minted running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, has an anti-abortion track record. View Source6: In a statement, national Trump campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt pointed to Trump’s position that it’s a matter for states to determine and called Harris and the Democratic Party “radically out of touch.” Trump has routinely peddled in falsehoods about Democrats’ positions on abortion, while he has long made clear he thinks it can be a losing issue for Republicans. View Source7: “That’s in stark contrast to Donald Trump, a convicted felon who stokes violence, overturned Roe, attacked our auto industry which hardworking families depend on, left office after losing 100,000 manufacturing jobs, and drove our economy into the ground last time he was in the White House.” View Source8: In a statement following Trump’s speech, Biden-Harris 2024 Campaign Chair Jen O’Malley Dillon pointed out that the former president also neglected to discuss “how he had inflicted pain and cruelty on the women of America by overturning Roe v Wade” or “his plan to take over the civil service and to pardon the Jan. 6th insurrectionists.” View Source

Climate & Energy

Trump has frequently called climate change a hoax and overturned approximately 100 environmental regulations during his first term, while pulling the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement 9 10.

His second term plans include further breaking from international climate cooperation and removing constraints on U.S. fossil fuel production 11. He aims to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act and downsize the EPA if re-elected 12.

Trump signed the Great American Outdoors Act, which provides funding for public lands, outdoor recreation, and maintenance, though critics see this as window-dressing 13 14 15 16.

9: In contrast, Trump has falsely called climate change a hoax. During his term as president, as Grady reported, “he overturned an estimated 100 environmental regulations and pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement. He shrank the EPA and required that the words ‘climate change’ be removed from its website. On the campaign trail this time, he has repeatedly said one of his top priorities is to boost oil and gas production and free up more public land to ‘Drill, baby, drill.’” View Source10: Donald Trump is now formally anointed as the Republican nominee for the 2024 Presidential elections, with JD Vance, the junior senator from Ohio, as his running mate. Some commentators worry about climate backsliding during the second Trump administration. After all, during Trump 1.0, the US exited the Paris Climate Agreement and rolled back more than 100 domestic climate and health regulations. View Source11: Trump’s international influence and his broader reshaping of the federal courts will hinder climate policy for years to come, leading environmentalists contend — a legacy they say will endure whether or not he is reelected in November. If Trump does regain the White House, his allies expect him to further break from international cooperation on climate and free existing constraints on U.S. oil, gas and coal production. View Source12: If Trump wins a second term as president, he and his allies say they aim to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act and downsize the EPA. View Source13: But as Republicans convene this week in Milwaukee to make Trump their presidential nominee, don’t expect them to call climate change a “hoax,” as Trump himself did repeatedly on social media years before the 2016 election. By the time he became president, Trump showed an awareness of the political popularity of environmental protection. Instead of dismissing climate science, he talked about lifting the economic burden he said the Paris agreement imposed on the nation. He framed his actions as part of an America-first agenda of energy “dominance” that safeguarded the nation against competitors, particularly China. Eventually, he signed a well-received environmental law, the Great American Outdoors Act, and proposed long-overdue standards to reduce lead in drinking water. View Source14: On the eve of the 2020 election, however, Trump made a series of overt moves on environmental protection that had staying power. In early September, he appeared in Jupiter, Florida, to endorse a 10-year moratorium on oil and gas drilling off his adopted state’s coastline—a pause that his own administration had proposed lifting. In that same speech, with EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, the former coal lobbyist, looking on, Trump announced his administration was “strengthening standards to prevent vulnerable children from being exposed to lead and copper in drinking water, including in our schools.” View Source15: Indeed, the vast majority of environmental activists see Trump’s few acts to support clean water and land conservation as window-dressing on an administration that devastated environmental protection and public lands, weakened America’s standing as a global leader and threatened the future health of the planet. View Source16: Some environmentalists saw the Trump administration lead rules as too weak, and last year, the Biden administration sought to strengthen them, proposing to replace all lead pipes within the next decade. But one Trump move in 2020 has won nearly universal praise from environmentalists: the push for and signing of the Great American Outdoors Act, a law that provides as much as $2.8 billion a year for public lands, outdoor recreation, maintenance and restoration, and new green spaces. The law provided a means to tackle an enormous maintenance backlog in national parks and forests. View Source

Democracy & Rule of Law

Trump's lack of respect for the norms of democracy includes attacks on legal verdicts and the legal system, with critics calling for a commitment to those norms to preserve democracy 17 18 19.

Critics, including those from the Biden camp, argue that Trump’s actions and rhetoric have damaged public trust in democratic governance and the justice system 20 21.

Federal prosecutors emphasize that no one, including Trump, is above the law, countering claims that legal actions against him are partisan 22.

17: Democracy and the rule of law are on the ballot this fall. The 2024 election is not just about Trump. It’s about whether we, as Americans, truly value the rule of the law and the norms that sustain a democracy. View Source18: If he continues to run for president, Trump needs to vow to adhere to the U.S. Constitution at every opportunity, such as during debates. Committing to accepting the results of a fair election is his minimum obligation as a presidential candidate. View Source19: I have understood two core principles as essential to democracy and the rule of law since I was a teenager. The results of free and fair elections must be respected. Second, respect for jury verdicts is an indispensable element of the rule of law. These norms must be observed, respected and held as inviolate if democracy and the rule of law are to survive. View Source20: To President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump and his “MAGA Republican extremists” are a threat to “the very foundations of our republic”. Democrats once insisted that prosecuting Mr Trump for his conduct as president would illuminate his menace and bar him from the office. For their part, federal prosecutors have never given a hint of partisan objectives; they wanted to vindicate the principle that no one is above the law. View Source21: Former President Donald Trump should sincerely accept the verdict on criminal charges against him and stop damaging the American people’s trust in democratic governance with his words and deeds. View Source22: To President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump and his “MAGA Republican extremists” are a threat to “the very foundations of our republic”. Democrats once insisted that prosecuting Mr Trump for his conduct as president would illuminate his menace and bar him from the office. For their part, federal prosecutors have never given a hint of partisan objectives; they wanted to vindicate the principle that no one is above the law. View Source

Foreign Policy

Trump’s foreign policy is characterized by a transactional view of foreign aid and a preference for direct negotiations and deals, often bypassing traditional diplomatic channels 23 24.

Trump has taken a hardline stance on China, including imposing tariffs of up to 60% on imports and advocating for new restrictions on Chinese-owned infrastructure in the U.S. 25 26.

Trump has criticized NATO allies for not meeting their financial commitments and has warned that the U.S. would not intervene in case of a Russian attack on allies not meeting their obligations 27 28 29.

Trump has taken a hardline stance on Iran, withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal. He has also expressed support for Israel in its conflict with Hamas in Gaza and has a history of ambitious statements about resolving Middle East conflicts 30 31 32.

23: Negotiations are set to begin next year ahead of the 2026 deadline for the 10-year Memorandum of Understanding between the nations. Trump, who views foreign aid as transactional, might refuse to consider an increase in the annual $3.8 billion in U.S. assistance. Friedman, the former ambassador, said Trump’s position remains unclear. Vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance, an isolationist, voted against an aid package this spring that included emergency assistance to Israel because, he said, it was coupled with aid to Ukraine. View Source24: "I appreciate President Zelenskyy for reaching out because I, as your next President of the United States, will bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives and devastated countless innocent families," Trump said in a post to Truth Social. "Both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence and paves a path forward to prosperity." View Source25: Trump, has also taken a hardline stance on China, with his policy on Beijing, centered on imposing tariffs of up to 60% on imports from the country. View Source26: He advocates for new restrictions on Chinese-owned infrastructure in the US and proposes building a missile defense shield. View Source27: In February, Trump said that when he was president, he had warned that he would not intervene in case of any Russian attack on allies that did not meet their financial obligations to NATO. View Source28: Trump, for his part, has repeatedly asserted that several NATO members have not fulfilled their financial commitments under NATO. View Source29: Harris has strongly criticized Trump's comments on NATO countries that fail to meet the alliance's 2% defense spending target. View Source30: - Compared to Harris, who is expected to follow in Biden's footsteps on key foreign policy, Trump is hawkish on China, flexible towards Russia, and a strong backer of Israel in its genocidal war in Gaza View Source31: Harris and Trump also have different views on the Iran nuclear deal. View Source32: Zakharova said that Trump, during his 2017-2021 presidency, had made ambitious statements about resolving the Middle East conflict. View Source

Immigration

He asserts that under his presidency, the U.S. had the most secure border in history 33. However, data shows fluctuations in border security with illegal immigration rising particularly towards the end of his term 34 35 36.

Trump has pledged to act decisively on immigration if re-elected, even suggesting a dictatorial approach to close the southern border on his first day in office 37.

He claims that illegal immigration steals jobs from Americans and places a particular emphasis on its negative impact on Black workers 38.

During his first term, Trump implemented Title 42 to expel migrants quickly under the pretext of controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, which altered the reporting of immigration data 39.

33: In his speech, Trump claimed that he oversaw the most secure border in the country’s history. “Just a few short years ago under my presidency, we had the most secure border … in the history of our country, in the history of the world,” Trump remarked. His claim is mostly true, if slightly exaggerated. View Source34: During Trump’s presidency, the U.S. recorded some of its lowest southwest border encounters in decades—though this trend began before Trump took office. Monthly border encounters fluctuated between approximately 40,000 and 160,000 between 2001 and 2008, but dropped substantially beginning in 2009. Aside from a spike in crossings during the spring of 2019, border encounters remained relatively low throughout the Obama and Trump administrations, particularly during Trump’s first two years in office when they hit record lows. Southwest border encounters have increased substantially under Biden, peaking at more than 250,000 in December 2023, the highest monthly total ever recorded. View Source35: Illegal immigration between ports of entry at the U.S. southern border dropped in 2017, Trump’s first year in office, compared with previous years. But illegal immigration began to rise after that. It dropped again when the COVID-19 pandemic started and immigration decreased drastically worldwide. View Source36: Before the pandemic, border officials recorded apprehensions of people trying to cross the border illegally under immigration law. But in March 2020, Trump began using Title 42, an emergency health authority that let the government quickly expel migrants to prevent COVID-19’s spread. During that time, the government changed how it reported illegal immigration. View Source37: Energy is the use of federal lands Trump mentions most frequently as high on his second-term agenda. In response to a query meant to reassure voters worried about his authoritarian tendencies, Trump said he wanted to act as a dictator only on Day One of his administration, in order to close the southern border and “drill, drill, drill.” View Source38: Increasingly, however, Trump and his associates have started making the case that immigrants are stealing American jobs — specifically, the accusation that immigrants are inflicting terrible damage on the livelihoods of Black workers. View Source39: Before the pandemic, border officials recorded apprehensions of people trying to cross the border illegally under immigration law. But in March 2020, Trump began using Title 42, an emergency health authority that let the government quickly expel migrants to prevent COVID-19’s spread. During that time, the government changed how it reported illegal immigration. View Source

Ukraine & Russia

Donald Trump has asserted that he could quickly end the war between Russia and Ukraine if he is elected president again 40 41. Trump plans to demand that Ukraine hold peace talks with Russia as a precondition for continuing US support 42 43 44.

While Trump claims he can resolve the conflict swiftly, no detailed plans have been publicly disclosed, resulting in skepticism from various observers, including Russia 45 46.

During his presidency, Trump made statements about avoiding extensive financial aid for Ukraine, emphasizing that the conflict did not align with long-term American interests 47 48 49.

40: Meanwhile, Trump has repeatedly said he could end the war between Russia and Ukraine when he is elected president again. View Source41: The alleged peace proposal aligns with Trump's public statements about his policy toward Ukraine and a plan formulated by top Trump advisors, in which the U.S. would halt military aid unless Ukraine agreed to hold peace talks. View Source42: Trump will demand Ukraine hold peace talks with Russia if elected, Orban claims View Source43: The alleged peace proposal aligns with Trump's public statements about his policy toward Ukraine and a plan formulated by top Trump advisors, in which the U.S. would halt military aid unless Ukraine agreed to hold peace talks. View Source44: Orban claimed that Trump "has detailed and well-founded plans for (a peace plan)." View Source45: MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia said on Thursday that Donald TrumpGet info without leaving the page.'s assertion he could quickly end the Ukraine war should be viewed realistically, given that he had promised a Middle East peace breakthrough but failed to achieve it during his presidency. View Source46: Republican presidential nominee Donald TrumpGet info without leaving the page. will quickly demand that Ukraine hold peace talks with Russia if he is reelected, the Financial Times (FT) reported on July 16, citing a private letter that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban wrote to EU leaders. View Source47: It was not the first time that Orban has restated what he claims are Trump's political positions regarding Ukraine. In March, Orban asserted that Trump would "not give a penny into the Ukraine-Russia war" if elected again. View Source48: In a speech at the Quincy Institute, he said: "I certainly admire the Ukrainians who are fighting against Russia, but I do not think that it is in America's interest to continue to fund an effectively never-ending war in Ukraine." View Source49: Trump has vowed that if he wins the election, he'd have the war "settled" while he's still president-elect. He has not said how he'd do so. At his debate against President Joe Biden in June, Trump criticized the large amount of military aid going to Ukraine, but also said Russian President Vladimir Putin's terms to end the war are "not acceptable." View Source

Israel & Gaza

Trump is recognized as a strong backer of Israel and has made significant policy moves supporting Israel, including relocating the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, recognizing Israeli control over the Golan Heights, and brokering the Abraham Accords 50 51.

He stated that the U.S. should let Israel "finish the job" in Gaza, a remark indicative of his support for continued Israeli military actions 52.

He has promised major donors to back Israel’s war on terror and has called for retribution against pro-Palestinian campus protesters 53 54.

50: Making the case for Trump, Jews at the convention point to his Mideast record as president: the relocation of the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the recognition of Israel’s control over the Golan Heights, the withdrawal of the Iran nuclear deal and the brokering of the Abraham Accords. View Source51: While in office, Trump was seen as having a close relationship with Netanyahu and made a series of policy moves that were welcomed by Israel, including moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, recognizing the Golan Height as part of Israel, and negotiating the Abraham Accords, which normalized diplomatic relations between Israel and several of its Arab neighbors. View Source52: The former president added: "As far as Israel and Hamas, Israel's the one that wants to go. He (Biden) said the only one who wants to keep going is Hamas. Actually, Israel is the one, and you should let them go and let them finish the job." View Source53: At the same time, Trump has promised major donors to back Israel’s war on terror — and he’s called for retribution against pro-Palestinian campus protesters. View Source54: Jewish delegates at the convention have expressed appreciation for the many non-Jews here who have shared their dismay over rising antisemitism. And GOP Jews have delighted in Trump’s tough talk about pro-Palestinian protesters, who rocked U.S. colleges this school year with calls for a ceasefire and the end of Zionism. Trump has promised to hold those protesters accountable, with legal action and deportation. View Source

Gender & LGBTQA Rights

Donald Trump has expressed support for banning transgender women and girls from competing on girls' and women’s athletics teams 55 56.

He has been described as providing equal opportunities without pandering to or marginalizing LGBT voters, emphasizing success and freedom for all 57.

Trump was noted as the first president elected in history to support LGBT marriage from day one, which has been cited as making it easier for gay voters within the Republican Party 58.

Despite these stances, his platform includes segregating sports by biological sex and ending taxpayer funding for gender transition surgeries, which some view as not inherently hateful but controversial 59 60.

Trump's platform has removed explicit anti-gay marriage language, indicating that Republican candidates can freely adopt their own positions on the issue 61 62.

Critics argue that Trump and his allies are running to diminish LGBTQ rights, with significant concern from the LGBTQ community about his policies 63.

Trump's administration has not called for the eradication of transgenderism or legally prohibiting gender transition for adults, nor has it sought to repeal anti-discrimination protections for transgender individuals 64.

During his campaigns, Trump has worked to increase support from gay voters, with a notable rise in gay voter support from 14% in 2016 to 28% in 2020 65.

The Log Cabin Republicans, a conservative LGBT group, have been supporters of Trump, citing his commitment to fostering conditions for their community to thrive 66 67 68.

55: Former President Donald Trump voiced his support for banning transgender women and girls from competing on girls and women’s athletics teams during his speech at the Republican National Convention on Thursday. View Source56: Trump Supports Anti-Trans Sports Ban in RNC Speech View Source57: "Donald Trump is providing an opportunity for everybody to have an equal shot on a fair playing field. And that's what it comes down to at the end of the day. LGBT voters don't need to be pandered to. We don't need to be marginalized. We just need to be given the same opportunity for success, and for freedom, and for liberty as everybody else," Log Cabin Republicans President Charles Moran told Fox News Digital in a Zoom interview earlier this week. View Source58: When asked if Biden or Trump has better policies that benefit the gay community, Moran did not hesitate when answering, "Trump." He cited that Trump is the "first president ever elected in history that supported LGBT marriage, marriage equality on day one," that the 45th president has made it easier to be a gay voter in the Republican Party, that gay people across the world were at less risk of harm and discrimination under the Trump administration due to his foreign policies, and that the 45th president leaves pandering at the door in favor of authentic messaging. View Source59: The trans-related positions articulated in the platform are, admittedly, crudely and offensively worded. (What else would one expect from the party of Donald Trump?) But on their substance, positions like segregating sports by biological sex and ending taxpayer funding for controversial surgeries are not radical, inherently hateful, or unduly discriminatory. Yes, it's hardly a document that welcomes transgender Americans with open arms, but it could've been much, much worse. View Source60: It says Republicans will "end left-wing gender insanity." How? Well, by promising to "keep men out of women's sports, ban Taxpayer funding for sex change surgeries, and stop Taxpayer-funded Schools from promoting gender transition, reverse Biden's radical rewrite of Title IX Education Regulations, and restore protections for women and girls." View Source61: In the new 2024 platform Republicans just released, this language is nowhere to be found. The document says nothing about gay marriage at all. There is no endorsement of "traditional marriage," no call to overturn the Supreme Court's decisions, or anything else. The absence of a formal position implies that Republican candidates are officially free to adopt their own position on the issue, a tacit statement that the GOP has no problem with candidates and politicians who, like Trump, have embraced gay marriage. View Source62: It's hard to overstate the significance of this development. Overnight, with almost no fanfare, the single biggest objective of gay Republicans was achieved—and no one really noticed! So far, there's been only a minor outcry in niche socially conservative circles, with nowhere near the level of backlash you'd have expected had the GOP taken this step in years past. View Source63: Biden-Harris 2024 spokesperson Kevin Munoz told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that "LGBTQ+ Americans couldn’t have more at stake this election: Donald Trump and his extremist allies are running to gut LGBTQ+ rights and erase history as their top priorities." View Source64: It does not include calls to "eradicate transgenderism." It does not include calls to legally prohibit adults from transitioning their gender or restrict their access to hormones, surgeries, and other medical transition care. It does not include calls to repeal anti-discrimination protections for transgender individuals. It does not include calls to reinstate the prohibitions on transgender people serving in the military. Most surprisingly, the platform doesn't even endorse restrictions on children receiving medical transition treatments. View Source65: Trump has made massive strides in courting the gay community in his previous campaigns, with Moran anticipating again increasing the number of gay voters supporting the GOP this year. In 2016, Trump only received 14% of the gay vote, but he doubled that statistic to 28% in 2020. View Source66: Log Cabin Republicans Charles Moran spoke with Fox News Digital about former President Donald Trump's support among the gay community. View Source67: Melania hosted an intimate gathering of megadonors at her and her husband’s penthouse to drum up donations to the Log Cabin Republicans, the conservative LGBT group. A guest told us, “Hors d’oeuvres and Champagne flowed as the first lady generously welcomed the guests to her home with off-the-cuff remarks,” highlighting her and Donald Trump’s support for the group. View Source68: Log Cabin Republicans president anticipates GOP makes further strides with gay community in 2024 View Source

Sources

1: The 2024 platform from Trump and his fellow Republicans, which was released last week, makes references to slashing or "reining in" wasteful spending, but otherwise disappointed some fiscal hawks. A column from the National Review, a conservative magazine, said the GOP platform was "discouraging" for anyone worried about the ballooning debt and its implications. View Source2: "I liked the platform, but there's not much talk about fiscal responsibility and cutting government spending, so I'd like to see more of an emphasis on that than in the first term," said Stephen Moore, a senior visiting fellow in economics at the Heritage Foundation. View Source3: The Trump campaign told Fox News Digital that Trump's commitment to curbing inflation and addressing spiraling crime rates if re-elected will benefit all Americans. View Source4: Trump, who formally became the Republican presidential nominee last week, has tried to distance himself from abortion bans and has taken the position that abortion should be left to the states. The Dobbs decision, however, was possible thanks to his appointment of three conservative justices to the Supreme Court — a fact he has bragged about on the campaign trail. His newly minted running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, has an anti-abortion track record. View Source5: Trump, who formally became the Republican presidential nominee last week, has tried to distance himself from abortion bans and has taken the position that abortion should be left to the states. The Dobbs decision, however, was possible thanks to his appointment of three conservative justices to the Supreme Court — a fact he has bragged about on the campaign trail. His newly minted running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, has an anti-abortion track record. View Source6: In a statement, national Trump campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt pointed to Trump’s position that it’s a matter for states to determine and called Harris and the Democratic Party “radically out of touch.” Trump has routinely peddled in falsehoods about Democrats’ positions on abortion, while he has long made clear he thinks it can be a losing issue for Republicans. View Source7: “That’s in stark contrast to Donald Trump, a convicted felon who stokes violence, overturned Roe, attacked our auto industry which hardworking families depend on, left office after losing 100,000 manufacturing jobs, and drove our economy into the ground last time he was in the White House.” View Source8: In a statement following Trump’s speech, Biden-Harris 2024 Campaign Chair Jen O’Malley Dillon pointed out that the former president also neglected to discuss “how he had inflicted pain and cruelty on the women of America by overturning Roe v Wade” or “his plan to take over the civil service and to pardon the Jan. 6th insurrectionists.” View Source9: In contrast, Trump has falsely called climate change a hoax. During his term as president, as Grady reported, “he overturned an estimated 100 environmental regulations and pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement. He shrank the EPA and required that the words ‘climate change’ be removed from its website. On the campaign trail this time, he has repeatedly said one of his top priorities is to boost oil and gas production and free up more public land to ‘Drill, baby, drill.’” View Source10: Donald Trump is now formally anointed as the Republican nominee for the 2024 Presidential elections, with JD Vance, the junior senator from Ohio, as his running mate. Some commentators worry about climate backsliding during the second Trump administration. After all, during Trump 1.0, the US exited the Paris Climate Agreement and rolled back more than 100 domestic climate and health regulations. View Source11: Trump’s international influence and his broader reshaping of the federal courts will hinder climate policy for years to come, leading environmentalists contend — a legacy they say will endure whether or not he is reelected in November. If Trump does regain the White House, his allies expect him to further break from international cooperation on climate and free existing constraints on U.S. oil, gas and coal production. View Source12: If Trump wins a second term as president, he and his allies say they aim to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act and downsize the EPA. View Source13: But as Republicans convene this week in Milwaukee to make Trump their presidential nominee, don’t expect them to call climate change a “hoax,” as Trump himself did repeatedly on social media years before the 2016 election. By the time he became president, Trump showed an awareness of the political popularity of environmental protection. Instead of dismissing climate science, he talked about lifting the economic burden he said the Paris agreement imposed on the nation. He framed his actions as part of an America-first agenda of energy “dominance” that safeguarded the nation against competitors, particularly China. Eventually, he signed a well-received environmental law, the Great American Outdoors Act, and proposed long-overdue standards to reduce lead in drinking water. View Source14: On the eve of the 2020 election, however, Trump made a series of overt moves on environmental protection that had staying power. In early September, he appeared in Jupiter, Florida, to endorse a 10-year moratorium on oil and gas drilling off his adopted state’s coastline—a pause that his own administration had proposed lifting. In that same speech, with EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, the former coal lobbyist, looking on, Trump announced his administration was “strengthening standards to prevent vulnerable children from being exposed to lead and copper in drinking water, including in our schools.” View Source15: Indeed, the vast majority of environmental activists see Trump’s few acts to support clean water and land conservation as window-dressing on an administration that devastated environmental protection and public lands, weakened America’s standing as a global leader and threatened the future health of the planet. View Source16: Some environmentalists saw the Trump administration lead rules as too weak, and last year, the Biden administration sought to strengthen them, proposing to replace all lead pipes within the next decade. But one Trump move in 2020 has won nearly universal praise from environmentalists: the push for and signing of the Great American Outdoors Act, a law that provides as much as $2.8 billion a year for public lands, outdoor recreation, maintenance and restoration, and new green spaces. The law provided a means to tackle an enormous maintenance backlog in national parks and forests. View Source17: Democracy and the rule of law are on the ballot this fall. The 2024 election is not just about Trump. It’s about whether we, as Americans, truly value the rule of the law and the norms that sustain a democracy. View Source18: If he continues to run for president, Trump needs to vow to adhere to the U.S. Constitution at every opportunity, such as during debates. Committing to accepting the results of a fair election is his minimum obligation as a presidential candidate. View Source19: I have understood two core principles as essential to democracy and the rule of law since I was a teenager. The results of free and fair elections must be respected. Second, respect for jury verdicts is an indispensable element of the rule of law. These norms must be observed, respected and held as inviolate if democracy and the rule of law are to survive. View Source20: To President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump and his “MAGA Republican extremists” are a threat to “the very foundations of our republic”. Democrats once insisted that prosecuting Mr Trump for his conduct as president would illuminate his menace and bar him from the office. For their part, federal prosecutors have never given a hint of partisan objectives; they wanted to vindicate the principle that no one is above the law. View Source21: Former President Donald Trump should sincerely accept the verdict on criminal charges against him and stop damaging the American people’s trust in democratic governance with his words and deeds. View Source22: To President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump and his “MAGA Republican extremists” are a threat to “the very foundations of our republic”. Democrats once insisted that prosecuting Mr Trump for his conduct as president would illuminate his menace and bar him from the office. For their part, federal prosecutors have never given a hint of partisan objectives; they wanted to vindicate the principle that no one is above the law. View Source23: Negotiations are set to begin next year ahead of the 2026 deadline for the 10-year Memorandum of Understanding between the nations. Trump, who views foreign aid as transactional, might refuse to consider an increase in the annual $3.8 billion in U.S. assistance. Friedman, the former ambassador, said Trump’s position remains unclear. Vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance, an isolationist, voted against an aid package this spring that included emergency assistance to Israel because, he said, it was coupled with aid to Ukraine. View Source24: "I appreciate President Zelenskyy for reaching out because I, as your next President of the United States, will bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives and devastated countless innocent families," Trump said in a post to Truth Social. "Both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence and paves a path forward to prosperity." View Source25: Trump, has also taken a hardline stance on China, with his policy on Beijing, centered on imposing tariffs of up to 60% on imports from the country. View Source26: He advocates for new restrictions on Chinese-owned infrastructure in the US and proposes building a missile defense shield. View Source27: In February, Trump said that when he was president, he had warned that he would not intervene in case of any Russian attack on allies that did not meet their financial obligations to NATO. View Source28: Trump, for his part, has repeatedly asserted that several NATO members have not fulfilled their financial commitments under NATO. View Source29: Harris has strongly criticized Trump's comments on NATO countries that fail to meet the alliance's 2% defense spending target. View Source30: - Compared to Harris, who is expected to follow in Biden's footsteps on key foreign policy, Trump is hawkish on China, flexible towards Russia, and a strong backer of Israel in its genocidal war in Gaza View Source31: Harris and Trump also have different views on the Iran nuclear deal. View Source32: Zakharova said that Trump, during his 2017-2021 presidency, had made ambitious statements about resolving the Middle East conflict. View Source33: In his speech, Trump claimed that he oversaw the most secure border in the country’s history. “Just a few short years ago under my presidency, we had the most secure border … in the history of our country, in the history of the world,” Trump remarked. His claim is mostly true, if slightly exaggerated. View Source34: During Trump’s presidency, the U.S. recorded some of its lowest southwest border encounters in decades—though this trend began before Trump took office. Monthly border encounters fluctuated between approximately 40,000 and 160,000 between 2001 and 2008, but dropped substantially beginning in 2009. Aside from a spike in crossings during the spring of 2019, border encounters remained relatively low throughout the Obama and Trump administrations, particularly during Trump’s first two years in office when they hit record lows. Southwest border encounters have increased substantially under Biden, peaking at more than 250,000 in December 2023, the highest monthly total ever recorded. View Source35: Illegal immigration between ports of entry at the U.S. southern border dropped in 2017, Trump’s first year in office, compared with previous years. But illegal immigration began to rise after that. It dropped again when the COVID-19 pandemic started and immigration decreased drastically worldwide. View Source36: Before the pandemic, border officials recorded apprehensions of people trying to cross the border illegally under immigration law. But in March 2020, Trump began using Title 42, an emergency health authority that let the government quickly expel migrants to prevent COVID-19’s spread. During that time, the government changed how it reported illegal immigration. View Source37: Energy is the use of federal lands Trump mentions most frequently as high on his second-term agenda. In response to a query meant to reassure voters worried about his authoritarian tendencies, Trump said he wanted to act as a dictator only on Day One of his administration, in order to close the southern border and “drill, drill, drill.” View Source38: Increasingly, however, Trump and his associates have started making the case that immigrants are stealing American jobs — specifically, the accusation that immigrants are inflicting terrible damage on the livelihoods of Black workers. View Source39: Before the pandemic, border officials recorded apprehensions of people trying to cross the border illegally under immigration law. But in March 2020, Trump began using Title 42, an emergency health authority that let the government quickly expel migrants to prevent COVID-19’s spread. During that time, the government changed how it reported illegal immigration. View Source40: Meanwhile, Trump has repeatedly said he could end the war between Russia and Ukraine when he is elected president again. View Source41: The alleged peace proposal aligns with Trump's public statements about his policy toward Ukraine and a plan formulated by top Trump advisors, in which the U.S. would halt military aid unless Ukraine agreed to hold peace talks. View Source42: Trump will demand Ukraine hold peace talks with Russia if elected, Orban claims View Source43: The alleged peace proposal aligns with Trump's public statements about his policy toward Ukraine and a plan formulated by top Trump advisors, in which the U.S. would halt military aid unless Ukraine agreed to hold peace talks. View Source44: Orban claimed that Trump "has detailed and well-founded plans for (a peace plan)." View Source45: MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia said on Thursday that Donald TrumpGet info without leaving the page.'s assertion he could quickly end the Ukraine war should be viewed realistically, given that he had promised a Middle East peace breakthrough but failed to achieve it during his presidency. View Source46: Republican presidential nominee Donald TrumpGet info without leaving the page. will quickly demand that Ukraine hold peace talks with Russia if he is reelected, the Financial Times (FT) reported on July 16, citing a private letter that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban wrote to EU leaders. View Source47: It was not the first time that Orban has restated what he claims are Trump's political positions regarding Ukraine. In March, Orban asserted that Trump would "not give a penny into the Ukraine-Russia war" if elected again. View Source48: In a speech at the Quincy Institute, he said: "I certainly admire the Ukrainians who are fighting against Russia, but I do not think that it is in America's interest to continue to fund an effectively never-ending war in Ukraine." View Source49: Trump has vowed that if he wins the election, he'd have the war "settled" while he's still president-elect. He has not said how he'd do so. At his debate against President Joe Biden in June, Trump criticized the large amount of military aid going to Ukraine, but also said Russian President Vladimir Putin's terms to end the war are "not acceptable." View Source50: Making the case for Trump, Jews at the convention point to his Mideast record as president: the relocation of the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the recognition of Israel’s control over the Golan Heights, the withdrawal of the Iran nuclear deal and the brokering of the Abraham Accords. View Source51: While in office, Trump was seen as having a close relationship with Netanyahu and made a series of policy moves that were welcomed by Israel, including moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, recognizing the Golan Height as part of Israel, and negotiating the Abraham Accords, which normalized diplomatic relations between Israel and several of its Arab neighbors. View Source52: The former president added: "As far as Israel and Hamas, Israel's the one that wants to go. He (Biden) said the only one who wants to keep going is Hamas. Actually, Israel is the one, and you should let them go and let them finish the job." View Source53: At the same time, Trump has promised major donors to back Israel’s war on terror — and he’s called for retribution against pro-Palestinian campus protesters. View Source54: Jewish delegates at the convention have expressed appreciation for the many non-Jews here who have shared their dismay over rising antisemitism. And GOP Jews have delighted in Trump’s tough talk about pro-Palestinian protesters, who rocked U.S. colleges this school year with calls for a ceasefire and the end of Zionism. Trump has promised to hold those protesters accountable, with legal action and deportation. View Source55: Former President Donald Trump voiced his support for banning transgender women and girls from competing on girls and women’s athletics teams during his speech at the Republican National Convention on Thursday. View Source56: Trump Supports Anti-Trans Sports Ban in RNC Speech View Source57: "Donald Trump is providing an opportunity for everybody to have an equal shot on a fair playing field. And that's what it comes down to at the end of the day. LGBT voters don't need to be pandered to. We don't need to be marginalized. We just need to be given the same opportunity for success, and for freedom, and for liberty as everybody else," Log Cabin Republicans President Charles Moran told Fox News Digital in a Zoom interview earlier this week. View Source58: When asked if Biden or Trump has better policies that benefit the gay community, Moran did not hesitate when answering, "Trump." He cited that Trump is the "first president ever elected in history that supported LGBT marriage, marriage equality on day one," that the 45th president has made it easier to be a gay voter in the Republican Party, that gay people across the world were at less risk of harm and discrimination under the Trump administration due to his foreign policies, and that the 45th president leaves pandering at the door in favor of authentic messaging. View Source59: The trans-related positions articulated in the platform are, admittedly, crudely and offensively worded. (What else would one expect from the party of Donald Trump?) But on their substance, positions like segregating sports by biological sex and ending taxpayer funding for controversial surgeries are not radical, inherently hateful, or unduly discriminatory. Yes, it's hardly a document that welcomes transgender Americans with open arms, but it could've been much, much worse. View Source60: It says Republicans will "end left-wing gender insanity." How? Well, by promising to "keep men out of women's sports, ban Taxpayer funding for sex change surgeries, and stop Taxpayer-funded Schools from promoting gender transition, reverse Biden's radical rewrite of Title IX Education Regulations, and restore protections for women and girls." View Source61: In the new 2024 platform Republicans just released, this language is nowhere to be found. The document says nothing about gay marriage at all. There is no endorsement of "traditional marriage," no call to overturn the Supreme Court's decisions, or anything else. The absence of a formal position implies that Republican candidates are officially free to adopt their own position on the issue, a tacit statement that the GOP has no problem with candidates and politicians who, like Trump, have embraced gay marriage. View Source62: It's hard to overstate the significance of this development. Overnight, with almost no fanfare, the single biggest objective of gay Republicans was achieved—and no one really noticed! So far, there's been only a minor outcry in niche socially conservative circles, with nowhere near the level of backlash you'd have expected had the GOP taken this step in years past. View Source63: Biden-Harris 2024 spokesperson Kevin Munoz told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that "LGBTQ+ Americans couldn’t have more at stake this election: Donald Trump and his extremist allies are running to gut LGBTQ+ rights and erase history as their top priorities." View Source64: It does not include calls to "eradicate transgenderism." It does not include calls to legally prohibit adults from transitioning their gender or restrict their access to hormones, surgeries, and other medical transition care. It does not include calls to repeal anti-discrimination protections for transgender individuals. It does not include calls to reinstate the prohibitions on transgender people serving in the military. Most surprisingly, the platform doesn't even endorse restrictions on children receiving medical transition treatments. View Source65: Trump has made massive strides in courting the gay community in his previous campaigns, with Moran anticipating again increasing the number of gay voters supporting the GOP this year. In 2016, Trump only received 14% of the gay vote, but he doubled that statistic to 28% in 2020. View Source66: Log Cabin Republicans Charles Moran spoke with Fox News Digital about former President Donald Trump's support among the gay community. View Source67: Melania hosted an intimate gathering of megadonors at her and her husband’s penthouse to drum up donations to the Log Cabin Republicans, the conservative LGBT group. A guest told us, “Hors d’oeuvres and Champagne flowed as the first lady generously welcomed the guests to her home with off-the-cuff remarks,” highlighting her and Donald Trump’s support for the group. View Source68: Log Cabin Republicans president anticipates GOP makes further strides with gay community in 2024 View Source