Instead of a long-drawn-out platform, the Trump campaign has directed the Republican Party to streamline its views on certain positions while ignoring others the party has supported over many years.
The 20 promises that were just adopted by party leaders overall keep in tack conservative themes on issues ranging from tax cuts, the border, and foreign policy, but other areas the party chose to ignore.
Debt Deficits and Federal Spending
These three issues have been part of the party platform for years, but not this cycle. In fact, it isn’t mentioned at all.
Abolishing Federal Agencies
In the past, the platform advocated eliminating certain government entities, not this year.
Social Security and Medicare
2016 the GOP said it supported looking at all options to save the programs. Now, it just says they won’t support any cuts from the programs.
Education
Nowhere does it say they endorse school choice. It says no federal dollars for schools that teach CRT, gender identity, and sexual content to children.
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Tariffs
On trade, the GOP has supported lower tariffs but now backs them, a major shift.
“The vote in favor of the platform was loaded with populism and nationalism,’ said Fox News.
Gun Rights.
Proponents of the 2nd Amendment say the party’s new position on guns is much weaker compared to 2016.
“The Republican Party platform’s downplaying of Second Amendment,” wrote Jake Fogleman from Reload.com.
Fogleman said the 2024 platform’s discussion of gun policy priorities marks a significant departure from the party’s 2016 platform. He notes the GOP previously dedicated an entire section to the Second Amendment and listed specific pro-gun policies it wanted to enact, as well as gun-control measures it opposed.
“The Grand Old Party (GOP) slashed all mention of its gun policy positions. The entire platform discusses gun rights just once, in a preamble statement about the party’s dedication to defending “our fundamental freedoms, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right to keep and bear arms. The final product omits any discussion of tangible gun policy ideas,’ said Fogleman.
Abortion
The one has received a lot of negative attention from Republicans. The party decided to soften its language on abortion restrictions. The 2016 platform endorsed a federal abortion ban after 20 weeks. The new one is what Trump has endorsed, and that is to leave the issue to the states.
“At the urging of former President Donald Trump and his allies, the Republican Party is set to abandon a decadeslong push for a federal abortion ban,” said NBC News.
While Trump’s positions have been consistent with those of other conservative groups pushing this issue back to the states, others inside the party were disappointed with the party’s shift.
“The party platform is a great campaign platform, but it lacks substance — a Party’s enduring, historic principles. I am concerned the Republican Party is moving away from its strong, definitive goal of protecting children from the moment of conception,” said Family Research Council President Tony Perkins.
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