# Where does Trump actually stand on the issues? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 18, 2016, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trump-actually-stand-on-the-issues/757712 "2016-06-18T17:47:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2016, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trump-actually-stand-on-the-issues/757712/1 "2016-06-18T17:47:48Z")
I am not looking to start another attack thread. There are already enough of those. I want to know where Trump actually stands on issues like gay marriage, or infrastructure, or education, or anything else. Other than his strong anti-immigration stance, he seems to make things up as he goes along, with no clear stance, or switching sides. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2016, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trump-actually-stand-on-the-issues/757712/2 "2016-06-18T17:59:53Z")
Mostly he doesn’t care. Serious answer (as serious as you can get in a thread about a Trump campaign for president). Trump isn’t religious, his favorite book isn’t the Bible. He doesn’t care about gay marriage or tax rates, or infrastructure. He isn’t anti-abortion, and doesn’t want to “punish” women who have abortions. He probably doesn’t even care about immigration. If you want to know his “official” positions on these issues, his website probably has them listed. So, I just looked. He has 6 issues he has taken positions on listed. Pay for the Wall Healthcare Reform U.S.-China Trade Reform Veterans Administration Reforms Tax Reform Second Amendment Rights Immigration Reform ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2016, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trump-actually-stand-on-the-issues/757712/3 "2016-06-18T18:19:58Z")
Honestly, his stance on the issues is irrelevant. No one’s voting for him because of his stance on the issues, and no one is turned off by him because of his stance on the issues. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2016, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trump-actually-stand-on-the-issues/757712/4 "2016-06-18T18:58:20Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > So, I just looked. He has 6 issues he has taken positions on listed. Anything that just says “reform”, with no further details, isn’t actually a position. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2016, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trump-actually-stand-on-the-issues/757712/5 "2016-06-18T19:00:08Z")
As I’ve said before, there are really only three issues that Donald Trump holds firm beliefs about; 1. Donald Trump is very rich 2. Donald Trump is very smart 3. Everybody loves Donald Trump ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2016, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trump-actually-stand-on-the-issues/757712/6 "2016-06-18T19:04:41Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Anything that just says “reform”, with no further details, isn’t actually a position. To be fair, each of those is linked to another page that fleshes out a little more detail. I was just surprised that he only has six issues. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2016, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trump-actually-stand-on-the-issues/757712/7 "2016-06-18T19:08:00Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > To be fair, each of those is linked to another page that fleshes out a little more detail. > > I was just surprised that he only has six issues. He has plenty of issues, we just haven’t dug them all up yet. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2016, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trump-actually-stand-on-the-issues/757712/8 "2016-06-18T19:17:57Z")
[OnTheIssues](http://www.ontheissues.org/Donald_Trump.htm) may help. Yes his stated positions have sometimes contradicted themselves and they are not quite coherent but there is a set of issues he _currently_ endorses. Overall his current stated positions place him as a moderate conservative with strongly expressed anti-immigration and anti-trade positions and with a generous dollop of climate change denial. Some strongly endorsed positions? Cut Department of Education and Common Core Green energy is just an expensive feel-good for tree-huggers Cut the EPA; what they do is a disgrace Cut defense budget, & entire EPA & Dept. of Education Get rid of the regulations that are just destroying us Replace Obamacare with Health Savings Accounts No limits on guns; they save lives Repeal estate tax 4 brackets; 1-5-10-15% ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2016, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trump-actually-stand-on-the-issues/757712/9 "2016-06-18T19:57:46Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Repeal estate tax > 4 brackets; 1-5-10-15% Those ones specially tell me that the ones that claim that Trump does not want to be president are wrong, many are ignoring the huuuuuuuuge conflict of interest here and why Trump and his family would like to make those proposals to become true, and with a Republican congress they are likely to be. [http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/12/upshot/donald-trumps-plan-to-raise-taxes-on-rich-just-kidding.html](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/12/upshot/donald-trumps-plan-to-raise-taxes-on-rich-just-kidding.html) > [@](#): > > Donald Trump’s Plan to Raise Taxes on Rich: Just Kidding > > … > > In a phone interview on Monday, I sought clarification from Mr. Trump on his remarks about raising taxes on the rich. I asked him whether the highest earners would be paying more than 39.6 percent if he were president. > > “No, in fact, you’d be lower than that,” Mr. Trump said. > > But how, given that he had said that taxes would be going up for the wealthy? Mr. Trump explained that he meant he might have to accept a top tax rate that is higher than the 25 percent his plan calls for. To get his tax plans through Congress, he would probably have to compromise, but even after such concessions, the top rate would be lower than it is now, he said. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2016, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trump-actually-stand-on-the-issues/757712/10 "2016-06-18T21:19:19Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > [OnTheIssues](http://www.ontheissues.org/Donald_Trump.htm) may help. > > Yes his stated positions have sometimes contradicted themselves and they are not quite coherent but there is a set of issues he _currently_ endorses. Overall his current stated positions place him as a moderate conservative with strongly expressed anti-immigration and anti-trade positions and with a generous dollop of climate change denial. > Some strongly endorsed positions? > > Cut Department of Education and Common Core > > Green energy is just an expensive feel-good for tree-huggers > Cut the EPA; what they do is a disgrace > Cut defense budget, & entire EPA & Dept. of Education > Get rid of the regulations that are just destroying us > > Replace Obamacare with Health Savings Accounts > > No limits on guns; they save lives > > Repeal estate tax > 4 brackets; 1-5-10-15% Those don’t seem very “moderate” to me. They sound more like ever since Trump decided to become a Republican, he’s been taking his talking points from the latest and craziest Republican playbook, the one from the current insane era, the one that bashes all things environmental, denies climate change, and declares Obama to be a Kenyan-born Muslim. A moderate conservative wouldn’t be cutting the EPA – a moderate conservative _ **created** _ the EPA! ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2016, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trump-actually-stand-on-the-issues/757712/11 "2016-06-18T21:31:40Z")
“Moderate conservative” should have included the quotes - that’s per the OnTheIssues bottom line assessment, their term. Being anti-trade pushes him away from the Right side some apparently. YMMV but for today’s conservatives? Who should be a called a moderate conservative of today’s crowd? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2016, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trump-actually-stand-on-the-issues/757712/12 "2016-06-18T21:51:19Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > “Moderate conservative” should have included the quotes - that’s per the OnTheIssues bottom line assessment, their term. Being anti-trade pushes him away from the Right side some apparently. > > YMMV but for today’s conservatives? Who should be a called a moderate conservative of today’s crowd? He’s not really anti-trade. His clothing line (and other stuff) is made in China and Mexico. And he’s been trying really, really hard to bring that back to the States. [Since 2011.](http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trump-admits-gear-made-china-labels/story?id=13472355) ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2016, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trump-actually-stand-on-the-issues/757712/13 "2016-06-19T01:39:58Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > As I’ve said before, there are really only three issues that Donald Trump holds firm beliefs about; > > 1. Donald Trump is very rich > 2. Donald Trump is very smart > 3. Everybody loves Donald Trump 1. Donald Trump is not a “short-fingered vulgarian”. His fingers are of [absolutely normal size, see?](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51B%2Bl4%2BO6%2BL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg). (Curiously, Trump does not seem to take an issue with being called a vulgarian, so he is presumably not in strong disagreement with the actual label, only the adjective attached to it.) Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2016, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trump-actually-stand-on-the-issues/757712/14 "2016-06-19T02:04:50Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > He’s not really anti-trade. His clothing line (and other stuff) is made in China and Mexico. > And he’s been trying really, really hard to bring that back to the States. > [Since 2011.](http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trump-admits-gear-made-china-labels/story?id=13472355) This always bothered me…why is he worried about a few bucks’ manufacturing cost for making products in the US when he charges such ludicrous prices for them anyway? As usual with things that he says, it doesn’t pass the sniff test. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2016, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trump-actually-stand-on-the-issues/757712/15 "2016-06-19T02:19:50Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > This always bothered me…why is he worried about a few bucks’ manufacturing cost for making products in the US when he charges such ludicrous prices for them anyway? > > As usual with things that he says, it doesn’t pass the sniff test. [His stuff on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_so_2?srs=5371022011&rh=n%3A7141123011%2Cp_89%3ADonald+Trump&bbn=7141123011&ie=UTF8&qid=1466302713) isn’t all that expensive. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2016, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trump-actually-stand-on-the-issues/757712/16 "2016-06-19T03:55:34Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Those don’t seem very “moderate” to me. They sound more like ever since Trump decided to become a Republican, he’s been taking his talking points from the latest and craziest Republican playbook, the one from the current insane era, the one that bashes all things environmental, denies climate change, and declares Obama to be a Kenyan-born Muslim. A moderate conservative wouldn’t be cutting the EPA – a moderate conservative _ **created** _ the EPA! Sort-of, but old Ronnie’s people weren’t that into saving the environment, so I dunno how ‘_latest_’ that is. I mean, that was 30 years ago. ‘_ **Ronnie’s People** _’ sounds like a book/play/film set in West Texas about a free-wheeling cafe full of quirky deviants hugging each other a lot. And crying. Anyway, apart from his lack of deep thought, he probably has a benevolent attitude to most ordinary people, and doesn’t want to punish them as do traditional conservatives; however, apart from bringing on the crazy to attract **The People** , which he will tone down a lot when in power, he has to move further to the Right to maintain the distance in parallel with Hillary as she, now unfettered by competition from the Left, moves back to the Right. He proposes a Wall; she _built_ one and worries about illegal immigration; he denounces Radical Islam, _she_ just came out against Radical Islamism. She is now courting Bush supporters to carry on his legacy, and wooing America’s religious evangelicals which is fair enough as one herself: certainly she will pander to anyone whatsoever — I’ve no doubt she no more believes in UFOs than does Donald, yet she has promised those people she will reveal government records of such stuff — but her appeal to the religious right is real, and this is something he cannot match, since they hate him. However he will win, because America has a strange fetish over winners, and he is regarded as one; whereas she is mainly known as a loser, since she keeps on losing ever since her healthcare thing went down in flames. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2016, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trump-actually-stand-on-the-issues/757712/17 "2016-06-19T04:20:10Z")
His anti-vaccination beliefs appear to be genuine and not just pandering to the crowd. At least he’s been making public statements about his “theory” on vaccination since 2007. > **[The long, sordid antivaccine history of Donald Trump | ScienceBlogs](https://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2015/09/15/the-long-sordid-antivaccine-history-of-donald-trump)** > > Note added 9/17/2015: I knew it. The vaccine issue came up during the second debate and Donald Trump repeated basically the same nonsensical antivaccine tropes that he's been repeating for at least eight years. It rather puts the lie to his claim... Likewise his climate change denial tweets started in 2011 long before this campaign cycle: [http://www.fightclimatedenial.com/donald-trump---climate-denier.html](http://www.fightclimatedenial.com/donald-trump---climate-denier.html) So yeah that’s two very dangerous things that he genuinely appears to believe. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2016, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trump-actually-stand-on-the-issues/757712/18 "2016-06-19T04:44:05Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > However he will win, because America has a strange fetish over winners, and he is regarded as one; whereas she is mainly known as a loser, since she keeps on losing ever since her healthcare thing went down in flames. Clinton supported Obamacare and the Democrats won on that one. As for Trump being a winner, Trump is having a lot of trouble explaining away why he is not winning in the polls. From the conservative National Review: > [@](#): > > [http://www.nationalreview.com/article/436714/donald-trump-poll-numbers-tanking](http://www.nationalreview.com/article/436714/donald-trump-poll-numbers-tanking) > His poll numbers are tanking at precisely the moment when they should be on the rise. > > … > > The newest ABC News/Washington Post poll shows Trump with an overall unfavorable rating of 70 percent, including 77 percent among women, 69 percent among independents, and an incredible 88 percent among non-whites. NBC News and Bloomberg Politics have Hillary Clinton leading by seven and twelve points, respectively, with 55 percent of Bloomberg respondents saying they would “never” vote for Donald Trump. These numbers should come as no surprise. Throughout the primaries, Trump’s standing in the polls seemed unaffected by the unending torrent of controversy he produced. But as he has locked down the Republican nomination and the general-election matchup with Clinton has started to take shape, his campaign has faced intensifying scrutiny. And as someone with underdeveloped policy positions and a penchant for inflammatory — and arguably racist — campaign rhetoric, Trump has not been well-served by the attention. > > Over the past month, he’s faced negative news cycle after negative news cycle, starting with his comments about Curiel and continuing with the Orlando terror attack and his renewed call for a ban on Muslims’ entering the United States. A CBS poll shows that 51 percent of Americans disapprove of Trump’s response to the attack in Orlando, versus just 25 percent who approve. Since the beginning of his campaign, Trump has criticized President Obama, Hillary Clinton, and at times other Republicans for being “weak,” arguing that he was going to be the tough-guy president capable of providing jobs and catching terrorists. Americans don’t seem to be buying it. And considering that Trump’s initial response to the tragic shooting was to take a victory lap, claims that he is the best person to respond to crises will likely not be very credible. Elsewhere I have seen articles that make the point that getting bad publicity now and really not looking like a winner in the polls is what Trump will not be able to overcome, it will irk him so much that I do think it will make him fall further as being reminded of that will make him react more unhinged. Case in point: recently he tweeted one of the few more favorable polls for Trump showing him 3 points **behind** Hillary as a great success (never mind that many other polls show him 5 or more points behind Hillary). His “winner” aura depended on being constantly ahead of his opponents, no such luck outside the Republican sandbox. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2016, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trump-actually-stand-on-the-issues/757712/19 "2016-06-19T05:14:00Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Elsewhere I have seen articles that make the point that getting bad publicity now and really not looking like a winner in the polls is what Trump will not be able to overcome, it will irk him so much that I do think it will make him fall further as being reminded of that will make him react more unhinged. Yep, his strategy throughout the Primary was just say something outrageous whenever he needed attention to dominate the news cycle. That worked with his 30% or so of his diehard supporters base and kept him ahead of the other GOP candidates. It’s not going to work in the general. How many americans really believe he’s a “winner” vs just a tacky reality star who inherited 100s of millions from his daddy? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2016, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trump-actually-stand-on-the-issues/757712/20 "2016-06-19T05:30:57Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Anything that just says “reform”, with no further details, isn’t actually a position. On health care, he wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). He wants to eliminate laws that limit insurance companies selling health insurance out of state because he says this will foster greater competiveness. He wants to enact special tax-free savings accounts where individuals can deposit money for medical needs and to make health insurance payments tax deductible. He wants public reporting of health expenses so people can shop for the most affordable care. He wants block grants of federal money to the states for state-run health care programs. He wants to reduce regulations on the pharmaceutical industry so drugs that have been approved for use in other countries are available in America. And he wants to expand mental health care programs although he doesn’t go into details on that one. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-trump-actually-stand-on-the-issues/757712.md?page=2)