Where Donald Trump stands on 10 key issues

When he was defeated by Joe Biden after his first term in office, the country was in the midst of Covid, lockdowns and social unrest.

It followed a campaign in which restoring both economic health and law and order were his central messages.

Here are his policy pledges this time.

Economy

This is the biggest issue for voters and it’s the pinch of high food and housing costs that seems to be shaping their sentiment rather than the robust growth and low unemployment.

Inflation has fallen steeply from a 40-year high in 2022, but the former New York businessman has retained a persistent polling advantage on the economy over his Democratic opponents.

One of the 20 core promises on his campaign website is to “end inflation and make America affordable again”.

A president’s power to lower prices directly is very limited. Trump has pledged to expand US energy production, opening areas such as the Arctic wilderness to oil drilling, which he argues would lower energy costs, though analysts are sceptical.

He says he can reduce housing costs by preventing some undocumented immigrants from getting mortgages and deporting others, and by launching a home building programme on federal land.

Taxes

Trump has a raft of tax cuts planned.

Firstly, he wants to extend the cuts he enacted in 2017, which are due to expire next year. That was the biggest tax overhaul in decades, aimed at simplifying the tax code and promoting growth and investment.

The largest cuts went to businesses and the wealthy, which Democrats have called to reverse.

The Republican also wants to shave a further percentage point off corporation tax - and has floated an even bigger cut to 15%.

He has proposed making tipped income tax free, a proposal that his opponent Kamala Harris subsequently backed, too.

Trump has also called on abolishing the tax on Social Security payments, a move that would be welcomed by retired Americans but would at the same time punch a big hole in the fund.

Trade

The former president brought the era of US free trade to a juddering halt when he became president, but his tariffs on Chinese imports were largely retained and even expanded by Joe Biden.

This time around he has proposed new 10-20% tariffs on most foreign goods with imports from China bearing the brunt at 60%.

It is part of his attempt to promote homegrown manufacturers and stop outsourcing, but some economists have warned this could push up prices for consumers.

Immigration

This tops his list of priorities as it did in 2016 when “Build the wall” was his signature slogan.

The number of border crossings hit record levels at the end of 2023, but has fallen this election year.

Trump has vowed to seal the border by completing the wall and increasing enforcement.

He has also promised the biggest mass deportations of undocumented migrants in US history.

His vice-president pick, JD Vance, said they would start by removing a million people, but experts told the BBC that deportations on that scale would face legal and logistical challenges. There are also claims it could slow economic growth.

Children of undocumented residents would no longer be eligible for citizenship under another Trump policy, although this would face significant legal obstacles.

Abortion

This is the first presidential election since the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion in 2022, and Trump has struggled to find a consistent message.

The three judges he appointed while president were pivotal in the landmark decision, which Democrats have used to rally supporters as abortion restrictions have been introduced in numerous states.

Trump himself has regularly said states should be free to decide their own laws on abortion.

But in recent weeks he has tried to walk a tightrope, taking a more moderate stance while trying not to alienate his conservative base.

He criticised Florida’s six-week ban, provoking an angry backlash, but also said he would oppose a ballot measure in the state establishing the right to an abortion.

Ukraine and Nato

The Republican has an isolationist foreign policy and wants the US to disentangle itself from conflicts elsewhere in the world.

He has pledged to end the war in Ukraine “within 24 hours” through a negotiated settlement with Russia, a move that Democrats say would embolden Vladimir Putin.

Trump gave no details on what he thinks each side should give up in such a deal, and the Kremlin has said nothing can be done in 24 hours.

Trump has also said he would stop the cash flowing to Ukraine. Mr Biden signed off $61bn in military aid for Ukraine in April.

On Nato, he thinks countries that fall short of the advisory 2% of GDP spent on defence should forego the protection that comes with membership.

Israel-Gaza war

Trump has positioned himself as a staunch supporter of Israel and condemned pro-Palestinian supporters on US college campuses.

But he has also at times been critical of the way Israel has conducted the war.

He has said the war would not have happened if he had been president but offered no details on how he would end it.

As president he angered Palestinians by moving the embassy to Jerusalem and his administration stopped calling Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which contravene international law, illegal.

Healthcare

In his top 20 priorities, Trump promises not to cut Medicare, which is federally provided health insurance for older people.

While president he tried unsuccessfully to dismantle the signature legislation of President Barack Obama, the Affordable Care Act, which extended insurance to millions more people.

He still criticises the law, which remains popular, but in March he said on Truth Social he would not undermine it.

Recently he called for taxpayer-funded fertility treatment, but it's unclear if such a large expense has the support of Republicans in Congress.

Crime

He has pledged to demolish drugs cartels, crush gang violence and rebuild Democratic-run cities that he says are overrun with crime.

His Republican policy platform vows to restore safety in neighbourhoods by replenishing police departments and protecting officers from “frivolous lawsuits”.

Democrats point to his promise to pardon hundreds of convicted January 6 rioters as contradictory to his law-and-order stance.

They also point to the fact violent crime was down 6% in 2023 and murders down by 13%, according to FBI data.

Climate

As president, Trump rolled back hundreds of environmental protections, including limits on carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and vehicles, and protections for federal waterways.

This time, he is again vowing to cut regulations, particularly as a way to help the American car industry.

He has constantly attacked electric vehicles, promising to overturn Biden targets encouraging the switch to cleaner cars.

And he has long railed against offshore wind farms, promising to halt this source of renewable energy as soon as he is elected.

-BBC