As we get closer to the November 2024 election, I will be discussing major political issues more and more on this website. I have already pointed out that both Biden and Trump have huge political liabilities: Biden is a big spender and therefore weak on inflation. He also has made our open southern border problem much worse. Trump appears to be an isolationist on foreign policy. He has also mired himself in untenable election denial claims from 2020.
But let’s look at several big national issues with respect to Trump’s likely policies more carefully. Consider:
- Inflation. Many economists understand that excessive fiscal stimulus makes inflation worse. In particular, Covid pandemic stimulus spending of $5 trillion, especially the last $1.9 trillion under President Biden, was excessive. How would Trump address inflation in a second term? According to his campaign website, he would “slash the deficit” by “crushing the deep state.” I agree that shifting some responsibilities from the federal to the state level would be more fiscally sound, because states spend money more efficiently than the federal government.
- Ukraine. Although I have criticized Trump for being too isolationist, he did not oppose House Speaker Mike Johnson’s recent successful effort to pass additional funding for Ukraine (as well as Israel and Taiwan). It is critical to continue to help Ukraine defend itself against the Russian invasion. The U.S must firmly support freedom and democracy around the world when these fundamental values are threatened by our autocratic adversaries.
- Abortion. Roe vs Wade was (is) clearly unconstitutional and it was the Trump- nominated Supreme Court justices who helped accomplished its overthrow. Even though the national consensus on abortion is for an approximately 15-week cutoff, it is highly unlikely that Congress would be able to enact such a measure. Democrats want less restrictive regulation while Republicans want it more restrictive. Thus, the most viable course of action is for each state to pass its own abortion regulations. This is the approach that Trump has now endorsed.
- Open Border. We can rest assured that Trump will return to much more effective control of the southern border, just as he did in his first term.
Conclusion. At least on the above four major issues: inflation, Ukraine, abortion and border control, Trump has taken sound policy positions. Whether such policies consist of careful thought on his part, or (more likely) on good advice he is getting, it is reassuring that he’ll have sound positions on these major issues if he is reelected.
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