Statement Analysis of US Presidential Candidates
The past year has witnessed candidates vying for the US president’s post making statements on a number of issues ranging from foreign policy to economy and gun controls. Some of these have been lauded by the press and public while others have been met with derision.
With just three candidates left in the fray let us take a look at the statements made by them on important issues.
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton is all set to clinch the presidential nominations and will likely face Donald Trump in the November 8 elections. In case she becomes the president of the United States, her statements will come under scrutiny by the public to see how much she would be able to deliver on her promises.
Immigration: Immigrants would immensely benefit if Hillary Clinton becomes the President of the United States. On the immigration front, Clinton is in favor of reforms with a path to full and equal citizenship. She has made it clear that she would make an all-out effort in keeping families together and she would do this by ending family detention and aiding more people to become naturalized citizens of the country.
Economy: She plans to reform the economy and make it work for the entire spectrum of the society and not just for those who are comfortably placed at the top. To improve the lot of the common people, she plans to cut taxes for the middle class and raise the minimum wage. In her statements, she also spoke about ensuring that the wealthy pay their taxes.
Gun Laws: Taking note of the dire effects of feeble gun laws on the safety and security of the citizens of the country, Hillary Clinton plans to take on the gun lobby. She says that she would fight for reforms that would help in keeping guns away from those who are a threat to the society. She is keen on closing the loopholes and advocating for comprehensive background checks to ensure that guns do not fall into wrong hands.
Terrorism: People are perturbed by the growing incidents of terror-related activities in the US and countries closer home. Hillary Clinton, through her statements, tried to assuage their fears. She has promised to take measures to strengthen defenses both against the external and homegrown threats. She has also spoken about dismantling global terror networks that are supplying terrorists.
Bernie Sanders
Democrat Bernie Sanders is lagging behind Hillary Clinton by a huge margin and by now it seems unlikely that he would get anywhere near the magical figure required for winning the presidential nominations. But during the course of the campaign, he has made notable statements that have earned him accolades from media and public alike.
Immigration: Just like Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders is also in favor of uniting families. He is willing to fight for a comprehensive immigration reform that would provide a road map to citizenship for the 11 million aspiring Americans living in the US.
Economy: He plans to streamline the US economy and plans to invest a whopping $1 trillion in rebuilding the crumbling infrastructure. Other initiatives that he has stated, include investment of $5.5 billion to aid in the employment of one million young Americans.
Gun Control: Sanders has stated that businesses should be spared the punishment if they legally sell a gun to a customer. He is in favor of strengthening the instant background check system, banning semi-automatic assault weapons, and closing the gun-show loophole to control gun violence.
Terrorism: Recognizing the dangers of the ISIS, Bernie Sanders has promised to rid the world of this barbarous organization. He has also called for a strong defense system and robust National Guard and Reserve fully capable of meeting the country’s domestic and foreign challenges. He has come down heavily on the National Security Agency surveillance program promising to shut it down as “every telephone call in this country ends up in a file at the NSA.”
Donald Trump
Billionaire businessman Donald Trump has emerged as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Though Trump has been brash at times, yet, he has made statements that have both been lauded and derided.
Immigration: He has already given an indication of being very tough on the borders. He has emphasized on the fact that he would not allow certain people to cross the borders of America without proper documentation. As a means to stop outsiders, Trump also plans to end the use of H-1B as a cheap labor program. Though at times he has stated that he wants people to come into the country but that should be legal.
Economy: Trump is against US companies flying in cheaper workers from other countries. He stated that raising the prevailing wage to H-1Bs will force companies to give these jobs to unemployed Americans. Trump plans to create more jobs by building factories in the US rather than China. He has been vocal about bringing jobs back from China, Mexico, and Japan.
Gun control: He is fully in support of the Second Amendment and stated that the situation in Paris during the deadly attacks would have been different if more ordinary people were armed. According to him, a way to fight crime is by empowering law-abiding citizens.
Terrorism: Trump has uttered some very tough words on terrorism. He does not believe in showing mercy to terrorists and supports water-boarding. He stated that if interrogation techniques can help in the protection and security of the US then he would support the use of enhanced interrogation techniques. Commenting on Syria, Trump said that he wishes to build a safe zone in that country. He has also stressed on developing a strong military.