Climate Change

President Trump’s overall stance on this issue has widely consisted of denying its existence and the science behind it, or otherwise being neglectful in regards to taking action: 

• In the past four years, Trump has… 
  • Withdrew from the Paris Climate Accord after election 
  • Signed the Save Our Seas Act in 2018 
  • Made industry-friendly changes to rules governing coal, oil, and natural gas production 

•  For the coming election, he… 
  • Favors oil, gas, and coal interests 

Would likely limit expansion of climate regulation

Sourced from:  https://www.wsj.com/articles/where-trump-and-biden-stand-on-climate-and-energy-policy-11601809200

College Affordability

While the President doesn’t frequently discuss this topic in great detail, he shares very different views from his opponent: 

• During his administration, they have…  
  • Proposed deep budget cuts to the Department of Education as a whole (specifically targeting student financial-aid programs)
    • $2 billion cut taken from the Pell Grant reserve funds 
    • Eliminating many federal loan programs 
  • Vetoed a bill that protected students from debt, by allowing them to cancel it should they be defrauded by their schools 
  • Extended discharge of debt to permanently-disabled veterans in 2019
    • Democrats argued that it should be implemented for all permanently-disabled people
  • Erased provisions made to ensure for-profit colleges are preparing kids for college

Sourced from: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-a-president-biden-or-a-president-trump-could-affect-the-student-debt-crisis-and-college-affordability-11600702994 

http://www.nasfaa.org/2020

Systemic Racism (and Police Brutality)

Regarding the more controversial topic of systemic racism in our country, President Trump has denied its existence in the US on multiple occasions, or otherwise chooses to emphasize the benevolence of “law and order” above all else: 

• While addressing this issue, Trump has… 
  • Typically emphasized the occasional violence of protests, or “riots” as he calls them, over their causes 
  • Said multiple times that he doesn’t believe the issue exists in the US today
  • Instated police reform executive order:
    • Discourages use of chokeholds by police 
    • Created a national database for police misconduct 
      • Criticized for its apparent failure to address the problem at its core 

Sourced from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackbrewster/2020/09/01/trump-dodges-question-about-systemic-racism-during-kenosha-event/#efbb63159dcc 

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/16/donald-trump-police-reform-executive-order