A look at possible hot button debate topics for Biden and Trump

President Joe Biden and Former President Donald Trump will go head-to-head in the first 2024 presidential debate at 9 p.m. ET on June 27 through CNN to discuss key issues ranging from the economy to reproductive rights.

Here is a look into where they currently stand on some key issues according to USA TODAY’s Voter Guide:

Climate change

Trump opposes most climate change legislation. During his presidency, he withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement, a global climate initiative. He also rolled back numerous environmental regulations. Trump has also previously vowed to increase domestic oil and gas production and has said he opposes existing government subsidies for wind power development.

Biden rejoined the Paris Agreement once he took office. He also announced the nation’s first American Climate Corps, to train young people who want to tackle the climate crisis. He also set a national goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by half by 2030 and has pledged to make the American power sector 100% carbon-pollution-free by 2035. Biden has also offered multiple incentives for using green energy, such as $7 billion in solar power grants for low-income people. His administration set new restrictions on drilling and mining in Alaska’s wilderness and issued new rules to require coal-fired power plants to reduce emissions by 90% by 2032.

Crime and policing

Trump supports increased powers for police and says, “Democratic policies are leading to crime sprees in big cities.” A Gallup poll found 78% of Americans agree with him that crime is on the rise, despite FBI evidence to the contrary. During his term in office, Trump signed the First Step Act into law, which expanded some early-release programs for people convicted of crimes and reduced certain mandatory minimum sentences, among other changes. He also issued several high-profile pardons and commutations while in office, working alongside Kim Kardashian on some efforts.

Biden has said he “believes in safer American communities, but with accountability for policing across the country.” The president has still sought to distance himself from calls to “defund the police.” To address mass shootings and gun violence, he has often called on Congress to reinstate a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, as well as require universal background checks. Additionally, his budget proposal to lawmakers in 2023 included more money for law enforcement officials to fight gun violence.

Education

Trump supports the dissolution of the U.S. Department of Education. He wants to turn education over to the states, even though states already control funding and school curriculum, and give parents more say in running schools. While education has not been a major focus of his campaign, he has taken firm stances on other related cultural issues, such as a ban on transgender students’ participation in school sports. He has praised the Supreme Court’s rulings targeting affirmative action programs in higher education. Additionally, he criticized Biden’s efforts to cancel student loan debt for millions of borrowers, praising the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to strike down part of Biden’s plan.

One of Biden’s signature priorities during his term has been addressing student loan debt. Although his effort has been challenged or blocked in court, the president said alternative actions by his Education Department have resulted in $160 billion in debt relief for nearly 4.6 million borrowers as of May 2024. Regarding controversies in K-12 education, Biden denounced book bans in school libraries and shamed Florida legislation for the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which bars educational instruction on gender identity or sexuality.

Economy

Trump received some of the highest marks from voters for his handling of the economy. In 2017, Trump and his fellow Republicans passed a $1.5 trillion tax overhaul, which would expire during the next president’s term in 2025. He criticized the growing federal debt, though his critics point out that the nation’s budget and debt increased under Trump’s watch. The former president has also been more skeptical of free trade initiatives and agreements than some of his Republican counterparts, going so far as to start a trade war with China during his term in office.

Biden says he believes the best way to boost the U.S. economy is from the middle out and the bottom up. His economic plan included the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan. The plan is a post-pandemic stimulus package with funding for major infrastructure projects and climate initiatives. Biden called for an increase in the minimum corporate tax to 21% from 15%. He has also touted his plan to restore a previous version of the Child Tax Credit, make the healthcare tax credit permanent, and give new home buyers a $ 400-a-month tax credit for two years to reduce mortgage costs. Republicans argue that Biden’s policies are to blame for soaring inflation that has squeezed household budgets. They also argue that his regulatory policies are slowing the economy.

Foreign policy

Similarly to his 2016 campaign, Trump is promoting an “America First” agenda that is suspicious of free trade and alliances with other countries, such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Trump has previously stated he wants to pull back on U.S. defense commitments but contrarily blasted Biden’s plan to deny Israel key weapons if its military fully invades the southern Gaza city of Rafah, showing support for Israel in its ongoing war against Hamas,

More: Thousands flee Rafah assault as aid groups warn suffering will be 'unbearable': Live updates

The Israel-Hamas war has challenged Biden’s foreign policy and his domestic standing as young voters continue to protest on campuses across the country against the war in Gaza. He has reiterated support for Israel, while also working for a temporary cease-fire and seeking more humanitarian aid for Palestinians. Biden was able to get Congress to provide additional support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia and for Israel, which came with critique from many voters across the U.S. He has reiterated U.S. support for NATO. The president’s critics have often focused on America’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, a decision Biden’s administration has acknowledged it could have approached differently.

Health care

During his term, Trump tried and ultimately failed to repeal the health care law signed by his predecessor, former President Barack Obama. Now, Trump says he does not want to repeal it but to improve it and make it cheaper, although he has not yet released a specific plan. As president, Trump signed legislation to increase funding for substance use disorder treatment in the wake of the opioid epidemic. In 2017, he declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency. However, on the campaign trail, Trump has been more focused on addressing the spread of fentanyl in the U.S., aiming at drug cartels in Mexico.

Biden’s signature campaign promises include expanding health care coverage provided by the Affordable Care Act and lowering prescription drug costs. He called health care “a right, not a privilege, for all.” He succeeded in winning the right for Medicare to negotiate prices for a slate of drugs for seniors and to cap their annual costs at $2,000, including medication Americans use for heart diseases, autoimmune conditions, and more. Biden also proposed changes to private Medicare plans to help seniors access health care and $12 billion to boost underfunded research in women’s health.

Immigration

Trump has promised the biggest deportation and border arrest programs in American history— his signature issue since he entered politics. The former president said he would expand upon his past policies with plans to direct law enforcement and the National Guard to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. During his White House term, Trump famously vowed to build a wall on the U.S. southern border, though he did not complete that goal while in office. His administration’s policy of separating immigrant families prompted international condemnation. He also made efforts to ban travelers from a group of Muslim-majority countries.

Biden currently faces pressure from state leaders across the country to address populations of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. The president backed a bipartisan border security bill negotiated in the Senate that would have set limits on daily crossings at the southern border, but it could not pass in Congress once former President Donald Trump declared it insufficient. The president has tried to boost border security while still providing a “safe, orderly, and humane immigration system,” according to the White House. Though Biden pledged during the 2020 presidential election that he wouldn’t continue building Trump’s signature border wall, additional portions have been constructed with Trump-era funds. He has also broadened legal pathways for immigrants from some countries, including Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti, and Nicaragua.

Reproductive rights

Trump recently said individual states should set their own laws on abortion, not the federal government. His stance disappointed abortion opponents, as did his warning to Republicans against supporting bans across the country that are too restrictive. He has criticized six-week bans that are law in several states but has not specified what he would support. He has also not specified whether he supports access to mifepristone, the abortion pill, a question before the Supreme Court. Trump says abortion laws should include exceptions for rape, incest and several medical emergencies. During his term, Trump appointed three of the six pivotal Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade.

More: Trump warns Republicans on abortion and other takeaways from Wisconsin, Michigan rallies

Biden supports access to abortion, and said he intends to restore the rights provided by Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision establishing the right to an abortion that the Supreme Court which was overturned in 2022. The president has prioritized protecting access to mifepristone, known as the abortion pill, which is being challenged in the Supreme Court. Biden also celebrated Ohio voters’ 2023 approval of a constitutional amendment to protect abortion rights and access to other reproductive health services. His administration also tried to protect access to reproductive care for service members.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Biden to debate Trump: Here's what the candidates may spar about