The 2024 presidential election is in full swing. Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have participated in the second presidential debate, kicking off the election with eagerness and intensity.
This election has become one for the books. Joe Biden, the current president of the U.S, was the first Democratic candidate until he dropped out of the race. He has now endorsed Harris for president, the current vice president, making her the first woman of color to run for president in the history of the United States.
President Trump is running for the third time and has already had two assassination attempts against him, one where he was actually shot in the ear at his own rally.
There are many factors influencing people to vote. Pew Research Center surveyed about eight-in-ten registered voters. They concluded that Trump supporters are taking count of the economy, immigration, and violent crimes as the leading issues. Harris supporters claim health care, abortion, and Supreme Court appointments are most important. Gun policy is the one topic that is seen to be equally as important to Trump and Harris supporters.
There has been a lot of praise and backlash against the two candidates, Taylor Swift, George Clooney, and more celebrities endorsed Harris. While Elon Musk and others have endorsed Trump. However, the Pope says both Trump and Harris are “against life.”
Students at NVD are also taking an interest in the election. This is being taught and debated in certain classes, raising awareness and getting students involved. Many people feel that it is important to have the younger generation fully understand the election and to want to vote because it sets the tone for the future of the country.
Due to the heated nature of current politics and this election, the following interviewed students have decided to remain anonymous.
One student explained how they support Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Though I can’t come out in full support of either candidate, given our options I would probably vote for Kamala Harris,” Student 1 said.
Voters choose candidates based on how their policies would affect their lives. This student has chosen Harris because of her economic policies, compared with those of Donald Trump.
“With Trump, although he talks about problems that matter (immigration, crime, economy), he never really comes up with any solutions. His discussion of policy basically consists of saying that because the economy was good during his previous presidency, it will be good again, but he’s missing out on the fact that the economy just happened to be in that point of the cycle, independent of the president. His plan of action (cut taxes, raise tariffs) will actually make inflation worse AND increase prices,” Student 1 said.
Another Student who was interviewed had different opinions. This student supports Donald Trump.
“If I could vote I would probably vote for Donald Trump. I am inclined to vote for this candidate because of his economic policies, immigration reform, and foreign policy,” Student 2 said.
When choosing a candidate, many factors may influence voters. Social media like TikTok has had a slew of political content with the upcoming elections. Seeing candidates active on social media helps the public to get to know them better. However, there is also a lot of fake news on social media that can easily influence people. News sources might also influence opinions.
Some students get their political opinions from their families as well.
“My parents support Trump as well. I think this does influence my opinion on who to vote for because they have taught me a lot about politics and what each party stands for,” Student 2 said.
Many voters envision their lives under the countries of each of the hopeful presidents. Students 1 and 2 have different perspectives on how their lives will go if either candidate wins.
Student 1 describes how his life would be negatively affected if Donald Trump was victorious in the election.
“I’ll be affected the same way everyone else is affected; I’ll deal with higher prices and other economic fallout under his presidency,” Student 1 said.
Student 2 has a different perspective on their life if Donald Trump was victorious.
“If Trump were to win, I think my life would be affected in a good way because my parents would have lower corporate taxes, and the immigration policies would be much stricter,” Student 2 said.
Although Student 1 supports Harris, his family would be due for more taxes.
“If Kamala Harris wins I guess my family will be affected by the higher tax she’s likely to put into place; she’s a bit too left for my taste and I don’t agree with her welfare policy,” Student 1 said.
Student 2 describes the social divide that will result after the election.
“A con would be social divisions because democrats would be extremely frustrated if Trump were to win,” Student 2 said.
A few students at NVD from the senior grade will even be able to vote this year so it is crucial that people are up to date and informed about the future leader of this country.
The presidential election will take place Nov. 5,2024 and students at NVD are looking forward to all of the changes and excitement of the election as the date draws closer.
