On November fifteenth, it will be decided who will be the next president of the United States. Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have different views on most things, including America’s indigenous peoples and the issues that are generally most important to them.
– I would say that environmental issues are the most important for them, but also issues around unemployment and voting rights, says Merrick Tabor, political scientist at Stockholm University.
Harris has worked with environmental issues, abortion rights and gender equality. She has also been clear that she herself comes from a minority and has spent a lot of time talking to and about different groups in society.
Trump’s main focus during the election is above all taxes and migration. He has not focused as clearly on indigenous peoples or other minorities in his speeches, according to Tabor.
Harris most popular
Generally speaking, Kamala Harris is therefore most popular among the indigenous population. according to Tabor.
– She has worked a lot with minorities, and then Trump is disliked after some of his statements. His view of who is American is white heterosexual people. Many who do not belong to that group have had a hard time with some of his statements, says Merrick Tabor.
Another reason for Harris’ popularity is the environmental policies pursued by the Biden administration. During Trump’s presidency, the state began drilling for oil in nature reserves, something that Biden ended when he took office. Trump has said he will restart the work if he becomes president, something seen as negative for the indigenous people in the area, according to Tabor.
Unemployment an important issue
What speaks in Trump’s favor is that he has focused a lot on unemployment in the United States. A large part of the indigenous population is either low-income earners or is registered as unemployed. Harris has not placed as much emphasis on unemployment during his campaign, instead focusing on abortion rights and environmental issues.
In contrast, Biden-Harris has implemented several provisions meant to help low-income earners. They will probably keep Harris or even expand, while Trump is negative about the decisions.
– If Trump becomes president, he himself has said that he will remove many of those initiatives, which would have been absolutely terrible for the families who need that help, says Merrick Tabor.