The 2020 presidential elections in the United States will be historic, as they pitch two candidates against each other who have starkly different visions for the American people.
President Donald Trump will be entering the election with a viewpoint which sees America as a nation consumed by street violence and disregard for law. He has often stated his conservative position on racial matters, as he seeks to maintain his standing among white suburban voters.
On the other hand, the Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, is a favourite among black Americans and has been endorsed by many athletes and actors of colour.
The race over who wins the White House is set to define a modern American political history never seen before.
Plan for a safe and united America
Biden’s choice of Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate made a big statement about where he stands in relation to black American, but it has not deterred Trump from expounding on his vision of an “America for Americans”.
The candidates seem to hold contrasting views on the hypersensitive questions of racial justice and civic violence.
Biden believes Americans, especially African Americans, are not safe and will be less safe in a Trump America. Trump is not the man to bring the country together, he argues on campaign platforms, after a wave of protests against racial injustice and police brutalities.
Excerpts of a speech made on Monday in Pittsburgh showed that Biden is willing to pose tough questions, such as: “Are you safe in Donald Trump’s America?”
The former vice-president also took aim at Trump’s attitude to violence, saying: “This president long ago forfeited any moral leadership in this country. He can’t stop the violence – because for years he has fomented it.
“He may believe mouthing the words ‘law and order’ makes him strong, but his failure to call on his own supporters to stop acting as an armed militia in this country shows you how weak he is.”
Trump on collision course with protesters
Meanwhile, Trump travelled on Tuesday to the violence-racked city of Kenosha, where a black man, Jacob Blake, was shot seven times by the police while walking to his car.
The incident has led to widespread protests in Kenosha, reopening conversations about police brutality against black citizens of the United States.
But Trump makes it clear that he is always on the side of law enforcement and order. He is, therefore, against any form of protest, especially demonstrations that culminate in looting or the destruction of property.
Last week, he came under the spotlight after he “liked” a tweet which seemed to praise Kyle Rittenhouse, a teenager charged with allegedly killing two protesters in Kenosha. President Trump also slammed National Basketball Association players for boycotting the playoffs in solidary with Blake after the shooting incident.
While the president remains intransigent in his stance on issues of race, he is adamant that he is no racist.
Although Trump and Biden are yet to mount one platorm to engage in a debate, they have been responding to each other’s comments on the campaign trail.
E A Alanore
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