With the 2020 presidential election approaching, everyone 18 and older have begun to make their decision regarding who will win their vote based on which candidate will support and address their ideas and beliefs the best. Recently, youth voters have found new ways to express support for their preferred presidential candidate through posting on social media, volunteering for their campaigns and helping garner even more support for them. It is essential for a presidential candidate to gain the support of the younger generation of voters, as they are the ones who more rapidly spread information regarding the election and are expected to have a mass turnout at the polls for this election. Based on Biden and Trump’s stances on various pressing issues the United States faces today, it is clear Biden is the better choice for our Nation’s youth as he is an advocate for climate change, better immigration/healthcare systems and a large supporter of the need for systemic change.

“I think it is important that the youth become involved in politics and be aware of what’s going on in the world because this is a world that we are inheriting. We are currently at a crossroads, our world could either be amazing, we could build an amazing future, or we can let the little that we have go to waste and this is not a time for games or to be ignorant it is a time to be aware,” senior Daniela Parra del Riego said.

To begin with, climate change is an important issue to the younger generation. They are adamant in finding a presidential candidate who plans to take measures to improve and protect the environment. Society as a whole has already begun experiencing the horrific side effects of what climate change can do. Between the wildfires in the west, which have resulted in the death of over 28 people, and the sea levels rising an average of one-eighth of an inch per year, the future of our world is at stake unless something is done immediately. Biden plans on taking steps towards climate change prevention. He has plans of trying to reduce carbon emissions by implementing the universal usage of sustainable energy and continue helping combat against global warming. Unlike Trump, he wants to re-enter the Paris Climate Accord, highlighting his support on the ongoing effects of climate change. On the other hand, Trump has gone against plans to help the environment. He has barely discussed or acknowledged the wildfires in the west or the numerous lives lost. Not only that, he goes against scientific claims demonstrating the serious effects of climate change. He has claimed the crisis to be a “hoax” and puts a greater value on jobs than using more environmentally friendly resources. Recently he has tried claiming he has and will do great things for the environment but clearly, his previous actions towards the environment show he really has no care in fighting the climate crisis.The majority of the young voters do not want to support a candidate that does not care or even show an interest in helping our environment, as they are the generation who will have to experience the deadly ramifications of our current leaders inaction.

Immigration policies are another issue the youth tends to focus on. They see the importance in our immigrant workers, the diversity they add to our country and the mistreatment of them across all states. Biden also seems to see the values in the country’s immigrants and how beneficial they are to the country: he plans to revert the United States back to being a country of immigrants as it once prided itself in being. Our country used to be a place that welcomed people of all backgrounds and was ready to lend out a helping hand to help those in need. With our recent administration, these principle values have been lost. Biden also plans to only allow deportations in the event of a felony, unlike Trump, who seems to have no issue deporting immigrants regardless of whether they have or have not done something to merit such a punishment. Along with this, while these immigrants are detained, they are locked in what has been called the “ice box”. The conditions in these cells are absolutely inhumane and something no person should have to endure. Children have been separated from their families with many falling ill and dying because of the malnourishment they face.

Going into his stance on healthcare, if re-elected, Trump has plans to defund Planned Parenthood which has saved countless lives including those of undocumented immigrants by performing breast and cervical cancer checks on those who do not have insurance. His administration is adamant on the notion that healthcare should not be free. The majority of those against this entity fail to recognize it is not just an “abortion clinic,” but a safe environment for so many who are failed by our inadequate healthcare system. Since his first presidential campaign, he has been planning on building a wall on the Mexican border, which has not even been built further proving how all his plans he spoke about prior to his inauguration have not been done. They were just empty promises, just like his vows to rebuild infrastructure giving many more Americans jobs and grow the economy by 4%.

“This is important everywhere else, but particularly in our city, immigration for us is a lot of economic empowerment. That really stems from immigration in Miami. We are number one in entrepreneurship in the country above all big cities and that’s because of the ambition of our immigrant communities,” senior Aya Hamza said.

With the recent Black Lives Matter movement that was sparked by the killings of the innocent George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery by policemen; a President who supports this movement and others regarding equality has been important to young voters. Biden is in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, as he speaks to the families who have lost their loved ones to this senseless act of violence and advocating for those who have failed to be heard. In his campaign, he has made plans to help minorities who have become victims of systemic racism be able to become property owners and have equal opportunities in the economic sector. However, Trump is not in favor of the protests or movement. He seems to see the protest as violent and in no way supports them, showing much more allegiance to hate groups. At one point he even called the protestors “thugs”.

When voting for a presidential candidate, you are not only voting for that candidate, but for their administration as well. One of the other decisions you make when casting your vote is who will be Vice President and the entire cabinet. Running for vice president with Biden is Kamala Harris and running with Trump is Mike Pence. Harris has shown great support for the Black Lives Matter movement, has a set plan to improve the climate crisis, shows a great amount of care for the country’s immigrants and plans to remove the threat of deportation. Pence refuses to even say “Black Lives Matter” and claims “All Lives Matter,” a new trending phrase that lessens the importance towards their fight for equality. Like Trump, he does not see climate change as a threat and defends the horrible conditions of immigrant detention centers as it is for those who failed to enter the country through the process.

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Trump’s cabinet has also had its fair share of controversies including unethical actions from its members. United States Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has shown little care for the safety of students, insisting on the reopening of schools regardless of whether it is safe or not and stating how COVID-19 would kill “solely” 0.2% of members; that is 14,740 children’s lives, which in her eyes do not matter. This puts students, teachers and their families at risk of being forced into tough situations as their jobs and education are on the line. Furthermore, Trump’s administration has been very controversial from appointing Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State for months to Paul Manafort as his former Campaign Chairman who was criminally charged with illegal interactions with Ukraine. One of the most disputed choices Trump made was nominating Justice Associate Brett Kavanaugh who in 2018, had a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding serious allegations of sexual assault. Although he was found not guilty, the fact that such an allegation was made should have been an end point of his nomination, yet Trump continued to support him.

Although some may say Trump has done good for the country, the youth seems to put a greater value on other issues he does not support. Therefore, it seems that the majority of the youth’s vote has been won by Biden. Overall, Joe Biden seems to be the candidate that is the most supported by our Nation’s young voters as he truly cares for the pressing issues at stake.