The November 5 presidential election between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump is in the home stretch. With the two candidates locked in a neck-and-neck race, AFP looks at some of the key issues of the US election. From the economy to immigration to the war in Gaza. Here is what's at stake for Americans in this election.
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00:00The November 5th presidential election between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President
00:07Donald Trump is in the home stretch, as the nominees hit the campaign trail along with
00:11their running mates, Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Republican Ohio Senator
00:16J.D. Vance.
00:17With the two offering starkly different visions for America, here's what's at stake in
00:22this election.
00:24Polls indicate that the two candidates are essentially tied, with voters trusting Trump
00:29slightly more on economic policies.
00:38Much of the current Democratic administration has been hamstrung by high inflation, but
00:42price rises have recently cooled, and other economic indicators like stock markets are
00:47at near all-time highs.
00:52Both candidates have talked up their record in government in recent months while criticizing
00:56their opponents' economic plans.
00:58Harris has vowed to chart a new way forward, with a focus on lowering prices for Americans.
01:18She's promised tax cuts for 100 million Americans, while raising taxes on the richest, and to
01:23bring down housing prices.
01:26While Trump has regularly vowed to eliminate inflation, the former president has also vowed
01:36a 10-20% tariff on imports and a 60% rate on Chinese goods.
01:43The Republicans' protectionist economic message has focused on riling his largely
01:47white working-class supporters by demonizing immigrants.
01:51The explosive issue of migration is what Trump hopes will help him win in November.
01:58The U.S. government has struggled to manage its southern border with Mexico for years.
02:03Now the former president is doubling down on harsh rhetoric, accusing migrants of poisoning
02:08American blood.
02:17Polls show immigration remains a major vulnerability for Harris, with border crossings having risen
02:22to record highs at the end of 2023 under President Joe Biden.
02:42Not only could the election have an impact on immigration, but also the fate of women's
02:46reproductive freedoms.
02:47In 10 states, a referendum on abortion rights will also be on the ballot.
02:52After the procedure was banned or restricted across much of the country following a landmark
02:57Supreme Court ruling, in response, the Democratic Party has positioned themselves as the party
03:01of reproductive rights.
03:04And Harris has made access to abortion a central theme of her campaign.
03:08And let us agree, and I know we do, one does not have to abandon their faith or deeply
03:15held beliefs to agree.
03:18The government should not be telling her what to do with her body.
03:22Trump has consistently denied Democratic claims that he plans to pursue a national ban on
03:26abortion, despite pressure from conservative scholars and anti-abortion activists.
03:32At the end of the day, this is all about the will of the people.
03:35You must follow your heart or in many cases, your religion or your faith.
03:40While Harris has gained support from many progressives at home on her stance on abortion
03:45Harris' policies abroad could stand in her way of becoming president as she continues
03:49to uphold Biden's support for key U.S. ally, Israel.
03:52And may God bless the great alliance between Israel and America forever.
03:59She has spoken little about the escalation in the Middle East as fears surrounding an
04:03all-out war intensify.
04:05I can no longer in good conscience vote for the lesser of two evils.
04:10Over the past year, Trump has claimed that the deadly October assault on Israel by Hamas
04:15would never have happened if he were in office.
04:17I'm here today to tell the Jewish American community that this ugly tide of anti-Semitic
04:23pro-Hamas bigotry and hate will be turned back and crushed starting at noon on January
04:3120th, 2025.
04:34Trump has hardly helped to cool rising tensions in the Middle East.
04:37Instead, he's threatened to blow Iran to smithereens after U.S. intelligence warned of threats from
04:42Tehran against his life.
04:45Democrats and a long list of former senior Trump presidential staff have sounded the
04:48alarm about a second Trump term.
04:50They do not support Donald Trump coming back to the presidency and I think that speaks volumes.
04:55Some have warned of a repeat of the chaos that followed the 2020 election if he doesn't
04:59win this time around.
05:01Of course there'll be a peaceful transfer and there was last time and there'll be a
05:06peaceful transfer.
05:07I just hope we're going to have honest elections, that's all, OK?
05:13When we fight, we win!