What Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have planned for the US foreign policy

With the second presidential debate over—the first between the current candidates—the US presidential election seems just around the corner. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump exchanged criticisms and shared their visions for the future during the debate.
Their respective visions differ significantly, including on the future of US foreign policy. Although the Biden administration has navigated the challenges posed by two global conflicts, the responsibility will soon fall on one of the candidates, and much will be at stake.
Let’s look at where they stand on US foreign policy.
During the debate, Trump criticised Harris by pointing to the country’s inflation rate. Harris countered by criticising the “sales tax” Americans had to pay due to the high tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. She claimed the tariffs sparked a trade war with China and increased the US trade deficit, as reported by Chatham House. Harris also accused Trump of “selling American chips to China” to help modernise their military.
It’s expected that a Harris administration would focus on domestic investments to boost manufacturing, particularly in semiconductor chips, which have gained importance due to the AI boom.
Regarding the war in Ukraine, Harris has been a vocal critic of Russia and President Vladimir Putin. She has met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy multiple times and reaffirmed her support for Ukraine. This position is likely to continue if she assumes the presidency. On the Middle East conflict, especially the Israel-Palestine war, her stance and Trump’s appear similar — both emphasising a ceasefire agreement and halting the rising death toll.
Nevertheless, Harris took the opportunity to attack Trump during the debate.
“Dictators and autocrats are rooting for you to be president again because they know they can manipulate you with flattery and favours,” she said.
The former president is more or less expected to do what he did in the past: treat other nations with a heavy hand, imposing high tariffs and encouraging domestic production. He has already mentioned a 10% tariff on imports, and a 60% tariff on Chinese imports. Trump has been clear: if he is in office, international relations will be simply transactional, rather than based on alliances.
When it comes to the Ukraine war, Trump is another camp altogether. When asked, during the debate, whether he wished for a Ukrainian win, he deflected, not willing to take sides. “I want the war to stop and want to save lives,” he said, declining to take sides. He has, however, advocated letting Europe pay for its own security, attempting to reduce US involvement in European issues.
Trump has also sought to maintain a good relationship with the Russian leader, praising him on multiple occasions. Harris was quick to point it out.
“I think why Donald Trump says this war would be over in 24 hours is because he would give it up. If Trump were president, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv right now,” she said.
Although Trump has not shared a said plan to tackle the issues in the Middle East, it would be understandable to assume he, too, wants the conflict to end. Trump has supported Israel’s war on Palestine, and has been an admirer of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, backing many of his hardline policies, rejected by previous US administrations, the New York Times reported.
“I will get it settled and fast,” Trump has said in the past, but has not offered any concrete plans on how he would go about it.