The 2020 presidential election has sparked SNL skits, Twitter memes, and national media coverage of debates. Amid the confusion, American citizens have had to sort the truth from the lies as they dealt with rising case numbers of the Covid pandemic. But the focus should be on the two candidates' policies and viewpoints.  

As the pandemic continues, it is important to look at, and understand, the two different plans the candidates have laid out. Donald Trump, the current American president, has built the world’s leading testing system from the ground up and has launched an effort to find a vaccine. He also cut off all travel to China, the original hotspot of the virus. Joe Biden has spoken about doubling the number of drive-through testing sites and wanting to create next-generation testing. This would include tests one could take at home and instant results testing. He would like to use the Defense Production Act to make more masks, face shields, plexiglass, and PPE. This is only the start of his plan for the ever-spreading coronavirus.  

LGBTQ+ rights have been on the forefront recently, and whoever takes office will have to address this in one way or another. President Trump has strong anti-LGBTQ records, with recent efforts making it harder for transgender people to get good healthcare. He has also tried to strip transgender people of their recognized identities. However, Mr. Biden has promised to make the Equality Act a top legislative priority within the first 100 days he would take office. He would also like to expand and protect LGBTQ+ rights.  

Trump and Biden have opposing views on abortion. Donald Trump has stated that he is pro-life and has stood with the Little Sisters of the Poor, a religious group also against abortion. He has stopped taxpayer money from going to Planned Parenthood, a nonprofit organization for sexual healthcare that has been more recently recognized for abortions. Joe Biden stands with, and supports, Roe v. Wade. He wants to stop all anti-abortion state laws and reverse what the Trump Administration did with taxpayer money.  

The two candidates also differ when it comes to foreign policy, yet their beliefs seem closer in this area than any other. President Trump has worked to restore America’s prominence in global diplomacy. He has worked with many countries like South Korea and Japan to try to achieve this. Biden promises to protect the American people with military force if needed.  

In a nation divided, Americans should look at both candidates’ views and take them into consideration when deciding how our country can move forward. Regardless of who wins this election, as citizens of America, we should support one another in our communities and band together to protect our freedoms. 

~Anna Marie Hondorf