Editor’s note: Nikki Haley suspended her campaign on March 6.
(NewsNation) — The crowded field of Republican candidates has shrunk to just two, as the primary season continues.
Former President Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner, hopes to amass a string of victories that’ll help him move beyond the primaries and focus on an expected general election rematch against President Joe Biden.
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is the only remaining GOP candidate who stands in the way of Trump’s march to the presidential nomination. However, she faces a tough slate of contests, mostly in the types of reliably Republican-voting states where she has struggled to win, or in states where party rules heavily favor the former president.
Haley lags behind Trump in polls. According to Decision Desk HQ and The Hill, Trump has a 66-point lead based on nearly 600 primary polls.
Here’s how Trump and Haley stack up on abortion and other key issues ahead of the Republican primary.
Abortion
Trump: In the past, Trump has refused to discuss whether he supports a federal abortion ban though he has called the overturning of Roe v. Wade a great victory. Recently, he privately told allies he would support a 16-week federal ban. That’s later than some conservatives would like but could be an attempt to appeal to moderate voters who find earlier bans too strict.
Haley: Haley has called herself pro-life but also said in debates she would seek a consensus on abortion. She has expressed support for a 15-week federal ban as well. But she said if she were still governor, she would support a 6-week ban if voters wanted one. During her time as South Carolina governor, Haley also signed laws that mandated waiting periods for abortions and denied insurance coverage for victims of rape and incest who wanted the procedure.
Border Crisis and Immigration
Haley: Haley has backed immigration policies including a return to Title 42, Trump’s Remain in Mexico policy and increased deportation. She also suggested that she supports taking money allocated to the IRS for helping crack down on tax evasion and rerouting it to border security. Recently, she called Congress out for failing to pass a bipartisan compromise that would have increased border restrictions while also funding foreign aid.
Trump: Trump’s solutions for the border include constrution of a wall, reinstating Remain in Mexico and Title 42 and increased deportations as well. He has also supported ending immigrant parole programs, ending birthright citizenship, endign the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and blocking people from certain countries or who hold certain political beliefs from coming to the U.S. He called on Congress to bock the recent bipartisan border bill because it wasn’t “perfect.”
Crime
Trump: Trump’s campaign promises include giving police more authority, using the military to combat the drug problem and giving drug dealers the death penalty. He also wants to increase funding for police and strengthen qualified immunity that protects police from prosecution. He has also vowed to pardon those involved in the Jan. 6 riots.
Haley: Haley has generally promised to be tough on crime though she hasn’t offered much in the way of specifics. She has said she would pardon Trump, who faces multiple criminal indictments, if she were elected.
Guns
Haley: Haley has spoken out against fed flag laws. In the wake of school shootings, she has supported more metal detectors and increased mental health care as opposed to gun control legislation to address the problem.
Trump: Trump has not outlined specific gun control policies but says he is a defender of the Second Amendment. He recently told the National Rifle Association that nobody would come for their guns under his watch and recently told Iowa residents they needed to “get over” a recent school shooting.
Israel and Palestine
Trump: Trump has traditionally supported Israel and moved the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Both Israel and Palestine claim Jerusalem as the capital city, making the move controversial. Regarding the current war between Israel and Hamas, Trump has suggested letting the conflict play out.
Haley: In her time as UN Ambassador, Haley took a strong position as a defender of Israel. She walked out of a Security Council meeting during a Palestinan official’s speech and she blocked a UN report that described Israel’s treatment of Palestine as apartheid.
Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Haley: Haley has come out in support of assisting Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion. She has supported aid for Ukraine and warned people not to side with “a thug,” in reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump: Trump has supported a cease-fire in Ukraine and has long been a support of Putin. Recently, his allies have attacked Republicans who supported aid for Ukraine. He also said he would support Russia attacking any NATO allies who have not contributed their share of defense spending, raising fears he could even pull out of NATO and destabilize the alliance.
Education
Trump: Trump has stated he would shut down the Department of Education and defer policies to the states. He has opposed critical race theory in schools, though the college-level subject is not part of K-12 curriculums. He has called for armed guards at schools and has promoted abolishing teacher tenure, prayer in schools, “patriotic education,” and education that promotes the nuclear family and traditional gender roles.
Haley: Haley has spoken in support of giving parents more say in how schools are run and promised to reduce the size of the Department of Education though she has not gone as far as to say she would eliminate it entirely. She has also been an outspoken opponent of allowing transgender students to participate in women’s sports, including making unsupported claims that trans participation is linked to suicide in girls.
China
Haley: She has called China the number one security threat to the U.S. and said she would block Chinese investors from buying U.S. and withdraw federal funding from universities that recieve money from China. She’s attacked both President Joe Biden and Trump for not doing enough on China and called for a ban on the social media network TikTok. She has also spoken out in defense of Taiwan, warning China against taking action.
Trump: Trump has vowed to end trade depency on China, phase out imports of essential goods, stop U.S. companies from investing in or outsourcing to China and impose higher tariffs. He has also attempted to shut down TikTok.
Economy
Trump: Trump has said he woud enact universal tariffs to encourage domestic production and increase jobs for Americans. He also said he will lower interest rates, which have risen in an effort to fight inflation.
Haley: Haley has called for ending federal gas and deisel taxes and increasing drilling in the U.S. with the goal of energy independence. She has also vowed to return the country to pre-COVID spending levels.
Childcare crisis
Neither Haley nor Trump have spoken on specific policies that would address the struggles many familes are facing as childcare costs increase.
Fentanyl and opioids
Haley: Haley has said the U.S. military should be used in Mexcio to fight drug trafficking and said she would shut off trade relations with Beijing until China does more to halt the flow of fentanyl into the U.S.
Trump: He has suggested a naval embargo on cartels, designating cartels as terrorist organizations and the death penalty for cartel members and drug traffickers. Trump has also supported the expansion of faith-based recovery programs and offering family leave for those caring for relatives are dealing with addiction.
Climate change
Trump: He has said he would end Green New Deal policies, increase natural gas pipelines, withdraw from the Paris Climate Accords and fight lawsuits brought by environmentalists.
Haley: Haley has admitted climate change is real and caused by human activity but has resisted taking action to reduce it. She has supported increased drilling for oil and natural gas and has backed carbon capture as a method of fighting climate change.
Benefits for seniors
Haley: Haley has called for changes in entitlement programs for young people, including raising the retirement age, but promised seniors they would not see current Social Security and Medicare benefits cut. She has suggested limiting benefits for the wealthy and expanding private Medicare Advantage plans.
Trump: Trump has promised not to make any cuts to Medicare or Social Security. He has proposed finding money to continue to fund the programs by making cuts to government programs dealing with climate change, foreign aid, LGBTQ rights and immigration.