As we approach the closing weeks of the highly contested 2024 presidential race, President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are engaging in a war of words over their respective economic policies. Their latest rallies in key swing states have seen both candidates targeting each other’s economic proposals, reflecting a heated showdown that continues to grip the nation’s attention.
Speaking to an enthusiastic crowd at a rally in Ohio, a critical swing state that could tip the outcomes, Trump conjured an image of economic disaster, alleging that Harris’s financial policies would “bankrupt the country” and would be “an absolute disaster for the middle class.” He also took aim at the rising inflation threatening the economy, promising, “We will end inflation,” to a roaring crowd of supporters.
In a masterstroke that won the hearts of American service workers during a previous visit to Las Vegas, Trump revisited his sterling proposal to eliminate all taxes on tips. Associating the policy with economic liberation for restaurant workers, taxi drivers, hairdressers, bartenders, and others who largely survive on gratuities, Trump enjoyed a thunderous applause from the rally.
The “No tax on tips” proposal, he said, would leave more money in the pockets of America’s hardworking service workers, countering the ever-looming threat of inflation and affording them a much-needed financial boost. Trump asserted that his agenda is centered around American workers, pressing that his plan would benefit not just the giant corporations, but also the everyday American citizen trying to make ends meet.
At a counter rally operating in Pennsylvania, another pivotal state in the upcoming election, Vice President Kamala Harris was quick to slam Trump’s economic plan as a smoke and mirrors strategy. She vehemently underlined that the real problem was not the taxation on tips, but the inadequate wages that many service workers are forced to stomach.
Harris painted a contrasting picture of her economic policy, one punctuated with increasing the minimum wage and enforcing stricter tax laws against large corporations and the ultra-rich. She put forth an economic plan focused on expansive social safety nets, affordable healthcare, and raising the minimum wage, in a bid to secure long-term economic stability for middle and working-class Americans.
The vice president ridiculed Trump’s “No tax on tips” proposal as a transient solution to a long-standing problem, arguing that a more sustainable approach must be adopted to assist economically struggling citizens.
As the election draws near, the political temperature is rising, with both candidates trying their best to appeal to the swing states that could clinically sway the final results. While Trump seems to rely on populist measures, Harris is set on propounding comprehensive reform. Both candidates maintain their positions with fervor, eagerly showcasing their policies as the answer to America’s economic crises.
In a climate of intense political unrest and economic uncertainty, it remains uncertain which candidate’s promise would resonate better with the American people. With just less than a few weeks remaining, Trump and Harris will intensify their campaigns as they work relentlessly to ensure their economic plans convince the undecided voters in these crucial swing states.
The 2024 US Presidential Election is proving to be a battle fought on economic grounds, with the electorate presented with two polar opposite yet equally compelling visions for the nation’s economic future.
