With the presidential election rapidly approaching, many people are frantically trying to decide for whom they are going to vote. While many of our Brentwood students are not eligible to vote yet, it is still beyond important to be informed about the candidates and even to form your own opinions about the candidates and their platforms.

This year, there is a significant divide in candidates’ platforms and stances: Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Here you can find a rundown on the perspectives of Trump and Biden for some key issues.

First and foremost, there is the issue of COVID-19.

In his address to the Republican convention, Trump says, “I will hold them (China) fully accountable for the tragedy (COVID-19) that they caused, all over the world, they caused.” Trump’s team often mentions hypothetical plans to send out mass waves of vaccinations but has yet to publish an official action plan (as of Oct. 16). 

On the other hand, the Biden administration has released plans that involve increasing the use of federal funds to expand testing across the country. Biden’s action plan includes creating a COVID-19 Racial and Ethnic Disparities Task Force, setting apart $25 billion toward manufacturing and distributing a vaccine once one is found, and using the Defense Production Act’s authority to create additional protective equipment like masks and face shields. 

The next key issue in this election is racial equality. 

President Trump has yet to outline a broad policy for addressing racial inequity and inequality. In multiple instances, Trump has even questioned whether systemic racism is even an issue in the USA.

However, former vice president Biden has laid out his own comprehensive plan for addressing and dealing with racial disparities. His plan includes supporting minority-owned small businesses, reforming President Trump’s Opportunity Zone tax deferral to be more minority friendly, and revamping education to better suit the financial needs of minority groups.

The last key issue today is immigration policies.

President Trump has made it beyond evident through his current term, and for his possible second term, he believes immigration to the US should be strictly regulated and restricted. Trump has made efforts to build a border wall between the US and Mexico and says that he plans to continue this build if he were reelected. He also states that he will continue to restrict immigration and create new policies to regulate who can enter the US.

Joe Biden, on the other hand, openly disagrees with all of President Trump’s ideas. Biden says that if he were to be elected, he would do away with all of the Trump administration’s restrictive acts, provide a “road map to citizenship,” and expand resources to current US immigrants.

There are certainly contradictory and strong opinions from both Biden and Trump. For more rundowns of these candidate’s stances, go here.

Although most of the politically informed students at Brentwood can not vote in any elections yet, they can still voice their opinions on the candidates.

Senior, Maya Sabeh, said, “My first impression of Trump and Biden was that I didn’t really like either of them. I preferred Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders so I was kind of disappointed when they both dropped out. I have disliked Trump for a long time.” Sabeh would also like to stress the importance of voting and registering to vote if you are eligible!

Junior, Francisco Zuluaga, stated, “I agree with Biden on most of his stances including his plans for the pandemic, the environment, racial equality, healthcare, education, immigration, and the economy. I disagree with most of Trump’s policies, especially with his stance on the environment, the pandemic, and immigration, although I think he did some good things for the economy before Covid.” 

Freshman, Amelia Spencer, said, “I am excited (and a little bit nauseous) to find out who wins the election. I do not agree with practically anything that Trump has on his platform, so I would be devastated if he were to be re-elected.” 

This election will be one for the books. To stay updated on the polls and the progress of the election go here.