New Yorkers sound off on 2024 election issues
NEW YORK CITY - FOX 5 NY is taking a deep dive into what both former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have said about three critical issues: the economy, immigration and reproductive rights.
JUMP TO: ECONOMY l IMMIGRATION l REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS
FOX 5 NY's Sharon Crowley spoke to many voters on the streets of New York City, and compared their concerns with what Trump and Harris are promising.
Campaign promises: The economy
"Groceries are crazy now, two bags of groceries for $100."
"1,500 plus for a studio and the studio is the size of my closet and I live in the Bronx. Yeah, unacceptable."
"Prices are getting ridiculous, and I've switched where I do my shopping for food because the supermarket has gotten way overpriced."
The economy is a top issue for voters this November, with Harris and Trump trying to appeal to Americans with very different plans. Here's what they are promising when it comes to improving the economy:
Former President Trump
"I will create a government efficiency commission tasked with conducting a complete financial and performance audit of the entire federal government and making recommendations for drastic reforms," Trump said.
The former president wants to cut taxes for corporations, bring manufacturing back to the U.S., cut regulations, boost energy production and impose more tariffs on foreign goods.
Vice President Harris
"We will tax capital gains at a rate that rewards investment in America's innovators, founders and small businesses," Harris said. "So, here's the detail: if you earn $1,000,000 a year or more, the tax rate on your long-term capital gains will be 28% under my plan."
Harris believes big corporations and the wealthy should pay more. She wants to give tax breaks to small businesses and entrepreneurs, including expanding the child tax credit to provide a $6,000 tax cut to families with newborn children. If elected, she vows to give first-time home buyers $25,000 toward a down payment.
- NOTE: Both candidates have introduced some economic policies that require congressional approval, meaning just winning the election will not be enough for the next president to keep his or her promises when it comes to improving the economy.
Campaign promises: Immigration
"Everybody deserves a shot."
"It's never been like this, you know, you see homeless people and migrants and people getting robbed and pushed and walked down the street. They're grabbing pocketbooks."
"They have to come up with an immigration deal and reasonable ways for people to stay here legally. There's so many wonderful immigrants here who have contributed so much."
"They come here. They have nothing and they're given a place to live, a phone and money."
"This is an issue for me because I'm not from here, I’m from Barbados, so it means it means something to me."
Immigration is on the ballot this year and voters in both parties want to know what candidates plan to do about it. Concerns heightened by a surge in border crossings and the busing of migrants to places such as New York City.
Former President Trump
"Now, the border is 25 times worse than it was in 2016," Trump said. "Now the border is not even believable what's happening, and I want to be known as your border president. I'm going to be known as your border president."
Trump made illegal immigration central to his first run for office in 2016. If elected again, he promises to seal the border, start mass deportations of illegal immigrants, and demolish foreign drug cartels.
Vice President Harris
"We must also reform our broken immigration system and protect our dreamers and understand we can do both -- create an earned pathway to citizenship and ensure our border is secure," Harris said. "We can do both and we must do both."
Harris, under President Joe Biden, was assigned to examine the root causes of the border crisis. She promises to reform the immigration system by going after drug cartels and human traffickers. She also supports deploying more detection technology to intercept fentanyl at the border.
Campaign promises: Reproductive rights
"As a woman, as a human, we have the right of our own autonomy."
"I think it's an everyone issue, like, reproductive rights are an everyone issue."
"The government shouldn't be telling us what to do with our bodies."
As Election Day draws near, reproductive rights have become a pivotal issue for voters considering the two leading presidential candidates, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
Vice President Kamala Harris
"Donald Trump handpicked three members of the United States Supreme Court because he intended for them to overturn Roe, and as he intended, they did," Harris said.
Harris promises that if elected, she will never allow a national abortion ban to become law and will push for federal legislation to make abortion legal nationwide if Congress passes such a bill.
Former President Donald Trump
"We want more babies, to put it nicely," Trump said.
Trump, who helped build the conservative Supreme Court majority that overturned Roe, opposes late-term abortion but supports policies advancing prenatal care, birth control access, and IVF treatments.