Where Trump and Biden Stand on Key Issues in 2024

Joe Biden

Democrat

Economy

Signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan and the $485 billion Inflation Reduction Plan, adding millions from the Treasury into the economy.
Has overseen a federal reserve rate hike of 5 percent in attempts to quell inflation, which hit 9.1 percent at its highest point. Consumer prices have increased 4.5 percent.
Supports raising the debt ceiling.
Canceled the Keystone XL pipeline project and provided incentives to "green energy" initiatives that focus on reducing carbon emissions.
Raised the minimum wage to $15 per hour for federal contractors.
Has pledged to "invest in racial justice."
Is exploring a central bank digital currency.

Taxes

Hikes the corporate tax rate from 21 percent to 28 percent.
Raises the capital gains tax on incomes greater than $1 million from 20 percent to 39.6 percent.
Increases the income tax rate from 37 percent to 39.6 percent for Americans earning more than $400,000.
Hikes the tax rate on foreign earnings of U.S. companies from 10.5 percent to 21 percent.
Debuts a 25 percent minimum tax on people with income and assets of more than $100 million.
Proposes an excise tax to charge cryptomining operations 30 percent of their energy costs.
Added 87,000 IRS agents.

Governance

Has signed 114 executive orders as of May 7, 2023—a similar number per year as Trump.
Imposed a vaccine mandate on all federal employees and castigated unvaccinated people.
Imposed a mask-wearing mandate in all federal spaces.
Banned entry into the United States for foreign visitors who were unvaccinated. This wasn't enforced for illegal border-crossers.
Supports "diversity, equity, inclusion" goals and quotas for government agencies.
Opposes voter ID laws and supports automatic voter registration, same-day voter registration, early voting, and universal vote-from-home and vote-by-mail options.
Supports making the District of Columbia the 51st state.

First Amendment

Created the short-lived "Disinformation Governance Board" in April 2022 under the Department of Homeland Security, to combat online “disinformation” on COVID-19 and election issues.
The Department of Justice was accused of targeting parents who protested at school board meetings and labeling them as "domestic terrorists," which Attorney General Merrick Garland denied.
According to the Twitter Files, the Biden administration has participated in a clandestine censorship arrangement with social media companies.

Second Amendment

Called for Congress to send him "a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Enacting universal background checks. Requiring safe storage. Ending immunity for gun manufacturers," adding that he would "sign it immediately.”
Signed a bill into law in June 2022 that includes the expansion of federal background checks for buyers aged 18 to 21 and adds incentives for states to adopt so-called red flag laws. It also provides $15 billion over the next five years to expand access to mental health programs and enhance school security. Parts of the law are being challenged in court.
Biden's ATF enacted a pistol brace rule, which is being challenged. It also banned firearms and firearms kits without serial numbers.

Health Care

Says health care is a "right, not a privilege."
Expanded the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid by executive order to provide free coverage to more low-income and uninsured people.
Increased funding to the U.N. Sustainable Development Agenda for global "universal health coverage."
Supports a federal law codifying abortion as a woman's right, and restored federal funding to Planned Parenthood.
Added $200 million to scale up the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline.
Signed a bill funding the expansion of mental health services at schools.
Opposes any state government restrictions to "gender-affirming care" for minors.

Education

Is pushing for billions in student loan forgiveness, including canceling debt for 20 million borrowers. The move is currently being litigated.
Advocated to keep schools closed during COVID-19.
Supports universal, free preschool and an expansion to the Head Start program.
Supports an increase in Pell grant funding for low- and middle-income college students.
Supports expansion of free community college.
Directed schools to allow students to use bathrooms, locker rooms, and join sports teams that correspond with their "gender identity." Was blocked by a judge.

Border Security & Immigration

Signed a handful of executive orders on his first day in office that halted border wall construction, reversed the ban on travel from terror-prone countries, suspended deportations of illegal immigrants, stopped the “Remain in Mexico” program, and strengthened the DACA program for children who were brought over illegally.
Released a sweeping immigration package to Congress that included amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants.
Has overseen the largest influx of illegal immigrants in U.S. history. More than 1.6 million illegal aliens were apprehended in fiscal 2021 and 2.2 million in fiscal 2022. In fiscal 2020, there were just over 400,000 apprehensions.
Has largely taken the position that the border is secure.

Foreign Affairs

Rejoined the Paris Climate Accord that Trump had exited.
Rejoined WHO and increased U.S. funding to it. Biden supports ceding authority to WHO during a pandemic or "potential" global health crisis.
Rejoined the U.N. Human Rights Council and the U.N. Population Fund.
Expanded international aid and committed to the U.N. sustainable development goals.
Supports rejoining the Iran nuclear deal, if Iran is in compliance.
Has overseen the largest move away from the U.S. dollar as the global reserve currency, with the new BRICS nations pledging to support the Chinese yuan.
Does not support Taiwan independence from China.

China

Biden promotes “strategic competition” with China while pursuing cooperation in some areas, particularly climate change.
He has approved billions of dollars to boost U.S. semiconductor manufacturing, kept many of Trump’s restrictions on China, and tightened controls on the flow of sensitive technology that aids China’s military.
Diplomatic channels between the two countries have mostly frozen up after a Chinese spy balloon breached U.S. airspace in February, but Biden in May 2023 said he expects the relationship to “begin to thaw.”
Regarding Taiwan, in May 2023 Biden said, "There is clear understanding among most of our allies that in fact, if China were to act unilaterally, there would be a response.”
The DOJ has continued a Trump-era initiative to crack down on CCP espionage, transnational repression, and tech theft.

War in Ukraine

Biden has unreservedly supported Ukraine and has favored arming Ukraine rather than prioritizing peace talks.
Under Biden, the United States is the primary source of arms for Ukraine amid Russia’s ongoing invasion.
Congress has approved more than $113 billion in military, economic, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine since the war began in February 2021.
Biden said in March 2022 that Russian President Vladimir Putin "cannot remain in power," which the White House later walked back.

Military

Continues to face criticism for the chaotic 2021 withdrawal of troops and personnel from Afghanistan, where 13 Americans were killed and hundreds more were stranded.
Left behind $7 billion worth of military weapons and equipment in Afghanistan.
Is pushing for the U.S. military to have an all-electric fleet by 2030 as part of an initiative to make vehicles “climate friendly.”
Reversed Trump’s ban on people who identify as transgender joining the military.
Has overseen recruitment decline in some branches of the military; lowered entry standards.

Law Enforcement & Criminal Justice

Signed three bipartisan bills in November 2021 that support law enforcement and first responders. The measures include support for mental health resources for law enforcement and support for firefighters, EMTs, and other law enforcement who are disabled or killed in the line of duty.
Signed an executive order in 2022 that includes a ban on chokeholds, tightens use-of-force criteria, launches a federal use-of-force and misconduct database, and mandates anti-bias training.
Urged Congress to pass the Democrat-led George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which passed in the House but stalled in the Senate. It would have eliminated qualified immunity for law enforcement and addressed use-of-force issues and "racial bias" in policing.

Environment

Has placed "climate change" and "climate justice" as centerpieces of his administration.
Pledges to cut emissions in half by 2030 and become net-zero by 2050.
Is mandating an all-electric federal vehicle fleet.
Wants to build a national charging network for electric vehicles.
Has placed strict emissions caps on light- and medium-duty vehicles by 2027 to force electric vehicle transition.
Is accelerating offshore wind projects, as well as expanded solar.
Canceled the Keystone XL pipeline project and restricted the fossil fuel industry.
Reinstated and expanded the EPA's "Waters of the United States" rule, which federally regulates waterways, including on private land. Most states have sued over it.

Infrastructure & Housing

Signed the $1 trillion INVEST in America Act in November 2021. The legislation includes $110 billion to build and repair bridges and roads, $66 billion to refurbish passenger and freight railways, $65 billion to expand high-speed internet, $65 billion to update power grids, and $42 billion to modernize airports and ports.
Plans to build a national network of charging stations for electric vehicles.
Has overseen a doubling of mortgage interest rates.
Launched a new measure on May 1, 2023, that forces homebuyers with higher credit scores to pay higher mortgage rates and fees to subsidize homebuyers who have riskier credit ratings.
Invested $2.5 billion in projects focused on reducing and preventing homelessness.
Increased funding and incentives for affordable housing.

Joe Biden

Democrat

COMPARE

Economy

Signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan and the $485 billion Inflation Reduction Plan, adding millions from the Treasury into the economy.
Has overseen a federal reserve rate hike of 5 percent in attempts to quell inflation, which hit 9.1 percent at its highest point. Consumer prices have increased 4.5 percent.
Supports raising the debt ceiling.
Canceled the Keystone XL pipeline project and provided incentives to "green energy" initiatives that focus on reducing carbon emissions.
Raised the minimum wage to $15 per hour for federal contractors.
Has pledged to "invest in racial justice."
Is exploring a central bank digital currency.

Taxes

Hikes the corporate tax rate from 21 percent to 28 percent.
Raises the capital gains tax on incomes greater than $1 million from 20 percent to 39.6 percent.
Increases the income tax rate from 37 percent to 39.6 percent for Americans earning more than $400,000.
Hikes the tax rate on foreign earnings of U.S. companies from 10.5 percent to 21 percent.
Debuts a 25 percent minimum tax on people with income and assets of more than $100 million.
Proposes an excise tax to charge cryptomining operations 30 percent of their energy costs.
Added 87,000 IRS agents.

Governance

Has signed 114 executive orders as of May 7, 2023—a similar number per year as Trump.
Imposed a vaccine mandate on all federal employees and castigated unvaccinated people.
Imposed a mask-wearing mandate in all federal spaces.
Banned entry into the United States for foreign visitors who were unvaccinated. This wasn't enforced for illegal border-crossers.
Supports "diversity, equity, inclusion" goals and quotas for government agencies.
Opposes voter ID laws and supports automatic voter registration, same-day voter registration, early voting, and universal vote-from-home and vote-by-mail options.
Supports making the District of Columbia the 51st state.

First Amendment

Created the short-lived "Disinformation Governance Board" in April 2022 under the Department of Homeland Security, to combat online “disinformation” on COVID-19 and election issues.
The Department of Justice was accused of targeting parents who protested at school board meetings and labeling them as "domestic terrorists," which Attorney General Merrick Garland denied.
According to the Twitter Files, the Biden administration has participated in a clandestine censorship arrangement with social media companies.

Second Amendment

Called for Congress to send him "a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Enacting universal background checks. Requiring safe storage. Ending immunity for gun manufacturers," adding that he would "sign it immediately.”
Signed a bill into law in June 2022 that includes the expansion of federal background checks for buyers aged 18 to 21 and adds incentives for states to adopt so-called red flag laws. It also provides $15 billion over the next five years to expand access to mental health programs and enhance school security. Parts of the law are being challenged in court.
Biden's ATF enacted a pistol brace rule, which is being challenged. It also banned firearms and firearms kits without serial numbers.

Health Care

Says health care is a "right, not a privilege."
Expanded the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid by executive order to provide free coverage to more low-income and uninsured people.
Increased funding to the U.N. Sustainable Development Agenda for global "universal health coverage."
Supports a federal law codifying abortion as a woman's right, and restored federal funding to Planned Parenthood.
Added $200 million to scale up the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline.
Signed a bill funding the expansion of mental health services at schools.
Opposes any state government restrictions to "gender-affirming care" for minors.

Education

Is pushing for billions in student loan forgiveness, including canceling debt for 20 million borrowers. The move is currently being litigated.
Advocated to keep schools closed during COVID-19.
Supports universal, free preschool and an expansion to the Head Start program.
Supports an increase in Pell grant funding for low- and middle-income college students.
Supports expansion of free community college.
Directed schools to allow students to use bathrooms, locker rooms, and join sports teams that correspond with their "gender identity." Was blocked by a judge.

Border Security & Immigration

Signed a handful of executive orders on his first day in office that halted border wall construction, reversed the ban on travel from terror-prone countries, suspended deportations of illegal immigrants, stopped the “Remain in Mexico” program, and strengthened the DACA program for children who were brought over illegally.
Released a sweeping immigration package to Congress that included amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants.
Has overseen the largest influx of illegal immigrants in U.S. history. More than 1.6 million illegal aliens were apprehended in fiscal 2021 and 2.2 million in fiscal 2022. In fiscal 2020, there were just over 400,000 apprehensions.
Has largely taken the position that the border is secure.

Foreign Affairs

Rejoined the Paris Climate Accord that Trump had exited.
Rejoined WHO and increased U.S. funding to it. Biden supports ceding authority to WHO during a pandemic or "potential" global health crisis.
Rejoined the U.N. Human Rights Council and the U.N. Population Fund.
Expanded international aid and committed to the U.N. sustainable development goals.
Supports rejoining the Iran nuclear deal, if Iran is in compliance.
Has overseen the largest move away from the U.S. dollar as the global reserve currency, with the new BRICS nations pledging to support the Chinese yuan.
Does not support Taiwan independence from China.

China

Biden promotes “strategic competition” with China while pursuing cooperation in some areas, particularly climate change.
He has approved billions of dollars to boost U.S. semiconductor manufacturing, kept many of Trump’s restrictions on China, and tightened controls on the flow of sensitive technology that aids China’s military.
Diplomatic channels between the two countries have mostly frozen up after a Chinese spy balloon breached U.S. airspace in February, but Biden in May 2023 said he expects the relationship to “begin to thaw.”
Regarding Taiwan, in May 2023 Biden said, "There is clear understanding among most of our allies that in fact, if China were to act unilaterally, there would be a response.”
The DOJ has continued a Trump-era initiative to crack down on CCP espionage, transnational repression, and tech theft.

War in Ukraine

Biden has unreservedly supported Ukraine and has favored arming Ukraine rather than prioritizing peace talks.
Under Biden, the United States is the primary source of arms for Ukraine amid Russia’s ongoing invasion.
Congress has approved more than $113 billion in military, economic, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine since the war began in February 2021.
Biden said in March 2022 that Russian President Vladimir Putin "cannot remain in power," which the White House later walked back.

Military

Continues to face criticism for the chaotic 2021 withdrawal of troops and personnel from Afghanistan, where 13 Americans were killed and hundreds more were stranded.
Left behind $7 billion worth of military weapons and equipment in Afghanistan.
Is pushing for the U.S. military to have an all-electric fleet by 2030 as part of an initiative to make vehicles “climate friendly.”
Reversed Trump’s ban on people who identify as transgender joining the military.
Has overseen recruitment decline in some branches of the military; lowered entry standards.

Law Enforcement & Criminal Justice

Signed three bipartisan bills in November 2021 that support law enforcement and first responders. The measures include support for mental health resources for law enforcement and support for firefighters, EMTs, and other law enforcement who are disabled or killed in the line of duty.
Signed an executive order in 2022 that includes a ban on chokeholds, tightens use-of-force criteria, launches a federal use-of-force and misconduct database, and mandates anti-bias training.
Urged Congress to pass the Democrat-led George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which passed in the House but stalled in the Senate. It would have eliminated qualified immunity for law enforcement and addressed use-of-force issues and "racial bias" in policing.

Environment

Has placed "climate change" and "climate justice" as centerpieces of his administration.
Pledges to cut emissions in half by 2030 and become net-zero by 2050.
Is mandating an all-electric federal vehicle fleet.
Wants to build a national charging network for electric vehicles.
Has placed strict emissions caps on light- and medium-duty vehicles by 2027 to force electric vehicle transition.
Is accelerating offshore wind projects, as well as expanded solar.
Canceled the Keystone XL pipeline project and restricted the fossil fuel industry.
Reinstated and expanded the EPA's "Waters of the United States" rule, which federally regulates waterways, including on private land. Most states have sued over it.

Infrastructure & Housing

Signed the $1 trillion INVEST in America Act in November 2021. The legislation includes $110 billion to build and repair bridges and roads, $66 billion to refurbish passenger and freight railways, $65 billion to expand high-speed internet, $65 billion to update power grids, and $42 billion to modernize airports and ports.
Plans to build a national network of charging stations for electric vehicles.
Has overseen a doubling of mortgage interest rates.
Launched a new measure on May 1, 2023, that forces homebuyers with higher credit scores to pay higher mortgage rates and fees to subsidize homebuyers who have riskier credit ratings.
Invested $2.5 billion in projects focused on reducing and preventing homelessness.
Increased funding and incentives for affordable housing.

Donald Trump

Republican

COMPARE

Economy

Focus on "America's economic revival," including lower taxes, higher earnings, and more jobs.
Wants the US to be a dominant producer of oil and natural gas again.
Plans to implement a 4-year national reshoring plan to end reliance on China for essential medical and national security goods.
During his presidency, Trump focused on deregulation.
Created "nearly 9,000 Opportunity Zones to revitalize neglected communities."
Facilitated record low unemployment for blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and women.
Signed the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act in 2020.

Taxes

Signed a tax reform bill in December 2017 that cut the corporate tax rate by 40 percent, reduced individual tax rates, doubled the child tax credit, and nearly doubled the standard deduction.
It also limited deductions on state and local income taxes to $10,000, limited the mortgage interest deduction to the first $750,000 in debt, reduced the alternative minimum tax for individuals, and repealed Obamacare’s individual health care mandate.
Cut capital gains tax to 15 percent.
Increased the estate tax basic exemption amount from $5 million to $10 million.

Governance

Focused heavily on trade deals, tax cuts, the border, and the economy during his presidency.
Oversaw the federal response to the pandemic during 2020.
Followed advice from federal agencies during the pandemic, but left states to make their own decisions beyond the "15 days to slow the spread," which started on March 16, 2020.
Launched Operation Warp Speed, which funded pharmaceutical companies to quickly develop vaccines for COVID-19.
For years, was placed under investigation for collusion with Russia during the 2020 election, which turned out to be fabricated.
Says in 2024 he wants to:

Restore free speech
Secure the border
Address the Ukraine war and China's threat to Taiwan
Reduce crime
Rejuvenate the economy

First Amendment

Has been subject to censorship and banned from social media.
Launched his own social media company, Truth Social, in February 2022.
Has criticized Big Tech and the legacy media for their censorship of Americans or conservative voices.
Vetoed the National Defense Authorization Act in December 2020 because it didn't include a repeal of Section 230 protections for social media giants. Congress ultimately overrode the veto.

Second Amendment

Says he will "always defend your Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms."
Banned bump stocks in late 2018, which was overturned in January 2023 by a federal appeals court.
Repealed law that required the Social Security Administration to send mental health information to the national background check system.
In February 2018, Trump expressed support for "red flag" gun laws, stating: "take the guns first, go through due process second."
However, in June 2022, he bashed Republicans who supported a gun control bill that included red flag laws.

Health Care

Vows to "always protect" Medicare, Social Security, and patients with preexisting conditions.
Eliminated the Obamacare individual mandate.
Signed the Right to Try law, which gives terminally ill patients access to potential lifesaving cures.
Finalized the Most Favored Nation Rule that forced pharmaceutical companies to offer the same discounts to the United States as they do to other nations. It was rescinded in 2021.
Intends to further reduce the cost of prescription drugs and health insurance premiums.
Supports health care price transparency.
Heavily promoted the COVID-19 vaccine.
Curbed federal spending that even indirectly supported abortion.

Education

Supports school choice and expanding access to charter schools.
Has argued that teaching the concept of systemic racism is "a form of child abuse" and has advocated for "patriotic education" and teaching "American exceptionalism" in schools.
In 2020, he announced that the National Endowment for the Humanities would fund a "pro-American curriculum."
His proposed 2021 budget included significant cuts and restrictions to federal student loan programs.

Border Security & Immigration

Will end catch-and-release for illegal immigrants.
Will restore the Remain in Mexico program that makes asylum seekers wait in Mexico for their case to be adjudicated.
Intends to eliminate asylum fraud, but doesn't detail how.
Will deputize the National Guard and local law enforcement (in cooperative states) to help remove illegal alien gang members and criminals.
Proposes a merit-based immigration system.
Will designate cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.
Will ask Congress to allow drug smugglers and traffickers to receive the death penalty.
Will ban children born to illegal immigrants from automatically becoming U.S. citizens.

Foreign Affairs

Brokered four Middle East peace deals, known as the Abraham Accords.
Facilitated a larger contribution from countries to NATO.
Signed a trade deal with China.
Replaced the NAFTA trade deal with Mexico and Canada.
Negotiated a new trade deal with South Korea.
Withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, Paris climate accord, Iran nuclear deal, UN human rights council, UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), World Health Organization, and the International Criminal Court.
Escalated sanctions on Iran and Russia.
Moved the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Outspoken about China being responsible for the Wuhan virus.

China

Signed a first-phase trade deal with China in early 2020. The CCP subsequently fell short of its promised purchases of U.S. goods and services.
Imposed tariffs on China for certain goods, most of which still remain.
Will implement a 4-year reshoring plan to ensure the United States doesn't rely on China for essential medical and national security goods.
Will ban Chinese ownership of all critical infrastructure and farmland in the United States.
Vows to break up China and Russia's growing alliance.

War In Ukraine

Says he will end the war between Ukraine and Russia "in one day."
Said "That deal will be easy, a lot of it has to do with money, a lot of it has to do with the military that we are giving. I would get that deal done within 24 hours. That war has to be stopped. That war is a disaster."

Military

Approach to the military was "peace through strength."
Launched the Space Force branch of the military.
Signed a reform of the Department of Veterans Affairs that included VA Accountability and VA Choice.
Oversaw the deaths of ISIS founder and leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and "the world's No. 1 terrorist" Qasem Soleimani.
The United States didn't enter a war during Trump's presidency and he vows to keep the nation out of "unnecessary foreign wars."

Law Enforcement & Criminal Justice

Says he will "quickly restore law and order" and public safety in the United States, and he "stands with the heroes of law enforcement."
Will deliver "record funding" to hire and retrain police officers, enhance qualified immunity and other protections for police officers, strengthen penalties for assaults on law enforcement, and "surge federal prosecutors and the National Guard into high-crime communities."
Signed the First Step Act that has allowed for the early release of some criminals.

Environment

Advocates for clean air and clean water.
Hasn't subscribed to "climate change." He said, "It'll start getting cooler. You just watch ... I don't think science knows, actually."
Signed the Great American Outdoors Act, which National Parks Conservation Association President and Chief Executive Theresa Pierno called "the largest investment our country has made in our national parks and public lands in more than 50 years."
Would support the elimination of any "Socialist Green New Deal."

Infrastructure & Housing

Energy independence is a key part of his infrastructure strategy.
Approved the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines.
Will "unleash the production of domestic energy resources, reduce the soaring price of gasoline, diesel and natural gas; promote energy security."
Will eliminate the Green New Deal.
As president was unable to get an infrastructure bill passed, but issued an executive order encouraging the purchase of U.S.-made construction materials for public infrastructure projects.
Launched the Opportunity Zones project that supported investment in lower-income areas.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr

Independent

COMPARE

Economy

Says he will focus on lifting the U.S. dollar back to being the world’s unchallenged reserve currency.
Vows to establish policies that favor small and medium-sized businesses.
Promises to break up “too big to fail” banks and monopolies, "and when crisis strikes, bail out the homeowners, debtors, and small-business owners instead."
Proponent of raising the debt ceiling.
Intends to reinvest in the productive base: infrastructure, labor, health, social, and natural capital.
Opposes a Central Bank Digital Currency and supports bitcoin.
Wouldn't touch Social Security or Medicare.
Supports government assistance for the more vulnerable, but would prioritize the reversal of the "policies that have led to such poverty in the first place."

Taxes

Disagrees with Biden's proposal for a 30 percent tax on cryptocurrency mining operations. "It is a mistake for the U.S. government to hobble the industry and drive innovation elsewhere."
Says the Netherlands is “doing it wrong” when it comes to reducing nitrogen emissions. "A far better way to meet goals is to increase farmers’ wealth with tax breaks for restorative and regenerative farming on 10 percent, then 25 percent, then 50 percent of their lands over 15 years."

Governance

Says he differs "profoundly on fundamental issues" from Biden, including on corporate influence in government, censorship, civil liberties, poverty, corruption, and war policy.
Pledges to "remake public institutions to serve the public."
Says "Regulatory agencies have been captured by those they are supposed to regulate."
Is an outspoken critic of the CIA, the EPA, CDC, FDA, Big Pharma, and Big Tech.
Will curb mining, logging, and oil drilling.
Will incentivize the transition of industry to zero-waste cycles and clean energy sources.
Pledges to prosecute any official who "engaged in criminal wrongdoing" during the pandemic.

First Amendment

Says "Freedom of speech is the capstone of all other rights and freedoms."
Will "dismantle the surveillance state" and rescind administrative policies that surveil Americans’ communications.
Says "Government and tech platforms conspire to surveil and censor the public."
Will dismantle the censorship-industrial complex and replace officials that have been instructing tech companies to censor users.
Direct the Justice Department to stop prosecuting whistleblowers and start investigating the crimes they expose.
Will pardon Julian Assange, Edward Snowden, and others, "and investigate the corruption and crimes they exposed."
Will ensure that the COVID-era suspension of the right to assembly and freedom of worship will never happen again.

Second Amendment

Civil liberties are one of six priorities on Kennedy's campaign website.
On June 28, when asked if he supports an "assault weapons" ban, he said: "If we can get a consensus on it, if Republicans and Democrats agree to it and it passed Congress, I would sign it."
Said on June 5, 2023, "I believe in the Constitution, and I’m not going to take everybody’s guns away."
Kennedy tweeted out a New York Times opinion article in 2018, titled, "Repeal the Second Amendment." The author, John Paul Stevens, a retired associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, called the Second Amendment a "relic" that should be overturned.

Health Care

Outspoken critic on Big Pharma and vaccine injuries through his Children's Health Defense nonprofit.
Approach to health care is centered around decreasing the rate of chronic disease in the United States. “Autoimmunity, allergies, diabetes, obesity, addiction, anxiety, and depression afflict two-thirds of the population, up from a few percent in our grandparents’ time,” he stated on his website.
Says health care spending per capita has risen twelvefold since 1960, but Americans are not 12 times healthier.
Will make available to all existing methods of treatment, as well as low-cost alternatives and holistic therapies "that have been marginalized in a pharma-dominated system."

Education

Is against vaccine mandates for children in schools.
His nonprofit Children's Health Defense sued Rutgers University in August 2021 for forcing a vaccine mandate on students.
Was against schools closing during the pandemic, saying the CDC had no scientific basis to do so, especially when compared to the deleterious effects on learning and mental health. "The predictable damage to a generation of children from the closures has proven cataclysmic."
Said in a May 2023 podcast that "we ought to be putting huge resources into public schools and making them the best schools in the world."

Border Security & Immigration

Critical of Biden’s immigration policies and calls the border crisis "a humanitarian nightmare."
Both pro-immigration and pro closing the border. "We need to take strong measures to put a stop to the chaotic and unlawful influx of immigrants. And we must do it in a humane fashion."
Border security platform revolves around changing foreign policies that he says create desperate conditions south of the border. "The War on Drugs is one. U.S.-funded dictators, juntas, paramilitaries, and death squads. Neoliberal extraction of resources. Unpayable debts. It is inhumane and hypocritical to deny immigration while creating the conditions that drive immigration."

Foreign Affairs

Will "restore America's "moral leadership. We will lead by example,” Kennedy said.
Says he'll “revive a lost thread of American foreign policy thinking” that was championed by his uncle, President John F. Kennedy, who became "a firm anti-imperialist."
Says, "We have to stop seeing the world in terms of enemies and adversaries."

China

Said the projection of U.S. military power has been a “failed philosophy" with China.
Is the author of “The Wuhan Cover-Up: How US Health Officials Conspired With the Chinese Military to Hide the Origins of COVID-19.”
Says he would "de-escalate the conflict" if China invaded Taiwan. "I would stop looking at it as a threat and allow the Chinese and the Taiwanese to come to their own solution about what kind of relationship they have."

War in Ukraine

Has vowed to “find a diplomatic solution to the war. "I would immediately have a ceasefire."
Calls Biden's May 2023 support for providing F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine a "dangerous escalation."
Believes the United States is in a “geopolitical proxy war” with Russia.
Would agree to not put NATO missile systems in Ukraine and that Ukraine would not join NATO. "Don’t say we weren’t warned. Numerous foreign policy experts have for years told of dangers of expanding NATO to Russia’s borders and deliberately provoking that nation."

Military

Criticizes the amount the United States spends on the military. "I don't think we can afford to be policemen of the world anymore."
Said "We have 800 bases around the world, we need to start rebuilding our middle class at home, we need to be responsible with our debt."
Will return the military "to its proper role of defending our country. We will end the proxy wars, bombing campaigns, covert operations, coups, paramilitaries, and everything else that has become so normal, most people don’t know it’s happening. But it is happening, a constant drain on our strength,” he said on his website.
"We will bring the troops home."

Law Enforcement & Criminal Justice

Will end the "failed War on Drugs" and grant amnesty to nonviolent drug offenders.
Will shut the school-to-prison pipeline, and transition prisons away from a punishment paradigm to a rehabilitation paradigm.
Doesn't support defunding the police, but wants to "transform the police."
Will incentivize police to prevent violence, not make unnecessary arrests.
Will train police in deescalation and mediation skills and partner them with neighborhood organizations.
Will respect the "right to privacy and freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures, by ending mass surveillance of American citizens and the abuse of civil asset forfeiture."

Environment

Known for his environmental activism, Kennedy says "Good environmental policy—100 percent of the time—is identical to good economic policy."
Advocates bringing both sides of the aisle together to solve environmental issues, especially those related to the chronic disease rate in Americans.
Will shift agricultural subsidies to encourage farmers to use regenerative practices, including building soil, replenishing groundwater, and detoxifying land.
Will incentivize the transition of industry to zero-waste cycles and clean energy sources.
Will work with other countries to implement the same policies throughout the global supply chain.
Will protect wild lands from further development, by curbing mining, logging, oil drilling, and suburban sprawl.

Infrastructure & Housing

Supports improving America’s infrastructure.
Traveled to Ohio's East Palestine area to inform those impacted by the toxic train derailment about the potential environmental and health impacts, as well as their rights.
Has advocated for energy efficient housing projects, buildings, and factories.
"I believe in free market capitalism. … I believe that our energy system should reflect the marketplace," he said on May 5, 2023.