The 20 questions we’d ask Harris and Trump

This article was first published in the On the Trail 2024 newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox on Tuesday and Friday mornings here. To submit a question to next week’s Friday Mailbag, email onthetrail@deseretnews.com.

Hello, friends. Eighty-two days till Election Day. That’s only, like, four Olympics!

3 things to know

• Harris and Trump agree on one issue: ending taxes on tips for service workers. It was Donald Trump’s idea first, and Kamala Harris parroted it last weekend in Las Vegas (where the hospitality industry and culinary union dominate both the economy and the political scene). But would this rare point of agreement benefit workers all that much — and is it a winning issue? My colleague Gitanjali Poonia has a great breakdown here.
• In Arizona, abortion will be on the ballot this fall. That could drive turnout and be a factor in both the presidential race and the key Senate race, that could help decide whether Democrats maintain control of the U.S. Senate. Before becoming the Democratic nominee, Harris was the Biden administration’s lead messenger on reproductive rights. Will her message resonate with Arizonans or deter them? Read more here.
• Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, was in Salt Lake City Wednesday. He said he likes Republicans’ odds in controlling Congress and winning the White House this November. His advice (and warning) to candidates? “Keep the focus on the issues.” Read more here.

The big idea

20 questions for Harris and Trump

Over the past year, I’ve made a concerted effort to keep this newsletter fresh — to be “zigging” while others are “zagging,” perhaps, and explore the aspects of the presidential race you can’t find elsewhere. But over the last few days, a trend has emerged among political journalists, and I like it. Today, for one day, I will unabashedly follow the herd.

Harris and Trump are avoiding interviews like the plague. Harris has yet to conduct a sit-down interview since Joe Biden exited the race last month. Trump is limiting his sit-downs to friendly press (or Elon Musk), though he has held two press conferences in recent weeks. Recently, several journalists have responded by conducting an exercise: what questions would I ask Harris and Trump if I sat down with them?

In today’s newsletter, I’ll do the same. The theme guiding my questions is this: What would Deseret News readers want to know from these two candidates?

A hat-tip to the other folks who’ve conducted this exercise recently: Gabe Fleisher at Wake Up To Politics, Benjy Sarlin at Semafor and The Washington Post editorial board. I took inspiration from their questions, along with insights from my fellow Deseret News reporters, our readers and all the voters I’ve met across the country in recent months.

There are many more than 10 questions we’d like to ask either candidate. But here is a start.

First, for Vice President Harris:

1. What is your pitch to moderate or conservative voters? Biden pitched himself as a unifier and a “bridge” in 2020, and his victory was due, in large part, to disillusioned Republicans and moderate independents who refused to vote for Trump. Do you believe this cohort of voters still exists? If so, why should they consider voting for you?
2. How would you describe President Biden’s health and fitness for office? When did you first notice his decline? What did other top Democrats, like former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, see in Biden that you didn’t?
3. How do you define “religious freedom”? As a senator, you sponsored the “Do No Harm Act,” which critics claimed would “strip the heart out” of religious freedom protections. What would you do as president to protect the rights of all individuals to live their faith however they may?
4. What will you do to decrease the national debt? The Biden-Harris administration is on track to add more to the national debt than any four-year term in history. How large of a threat do you view the national debt to be to our country’s future?
5. What is the U.S.’ role abroad? Is it acceptable to you for Iran to have a nuclear weapon? What is your plan to bring home the Israeli and American hostages in Gaza? What is your strategy to help Ukraine win its war against Russia? Will you send American troops to defend Taiwan if China invades?
6. What Senate allies will help you pass bipartisan legislation? The next Senate will likely have a razor-thin margin, and many of the lead dealmakers behind the Biden administration’s top legislative achievements are retiring (like Sens. Mitt Romney, Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema). Who will be your key allies to negotiate cross-aisle legislation?
7. How will you approach immigration? The centerpiece of your approach has been addressing “root causes” pushing migrants from Central America, but Central Americans now make up a minority of migrants apprehended at the southern border. What would you have done differently on immigration if you could go back to 2021? What changes to the Biden-Harris administration’s border policy would you make? What systemic reforms would you advocate for in Congress?
8. What is your plan for Social Security? You have promised to “protect” and “strengthen” it; how? Would you continue Biden’s plan to increase payroll taxes on the highest earners? How would you accomplish this without a Democratic majority in Congress?
9. What is your pitch to Latter-day Saint voters? There are enough Latter-day Saint voters in Arizona and Nevada to theoretically decide both of those battleground states. What issues are important to them? According to a recent survey, Latter-day Saints are more likely than any other U.S. religious group to say that “neither political party represents my views anymore”; why should they support for you?
10. What is your relationship with God like? You identify as a Baptist. What role does that faith play in your daily life? How does that affect how you view the people around you?

Now, for former President Trump.

1. What will you do to unite the country? You pledged to be a president for “all of America” during your RNC speech. What does that mean? Why should Americans believe that you are interested in representing your political opponents?
2. What will you do to decrease the national debt? You oversaw the largest single-term increase to the national debt in U.S. history, in part because of the response to COVID-19. How large of a threat to you view the national debt to be to our country’s future?
3. Why should pro-life voters support you after you led the effort to shift the GOP’s stance on abortion? In lieu of a federal abortion ban, what pro-family policies would you promote to encourage maternal health, active fatherhood and accessible child care? Do you support a $5,000 child tax credit, as your running mate has proposed?
4. How would your second-term immigration policy differ from your first? Your platform promises to combat “persecution against Christians”; does that extend to Christian refugees, whose acceptances into the U.S. hit record lows during your first term? How would you combat the coming U.S. labor shortage, which could be solved by high-skilled labor visas (like the one your wife, Melania, received)? What did you dislike about the Senate’s bipartisan solution on the border in February?
5. What is the U.S.’ role abroad? Is it acceptable to you for Iran to have a nuclear weapon? What is your plan to bring home the Israeli and American hostages in Gaza? What is your strategy to help Ukraine win its war against Russia? Will you send American troops to defend Taiwan if China invades?
6. How will you deliver on your promise to cut taxes? Your 2017 tax cuts expire in 2025. How will you negotiate tax cuts if Democrats have control of the House or the Senate?
7. What about the U.S.’ democratic processes gives you hope? Will you accept the results of the 2024 election? If you are declared the loser, will you encourage your followers to avoid violence?
8. What is your plan for Social Security? Your platform promises “Economic Stability to ensure the long-term sustainability of Social Security”; how would you achieve this? How would your plan to cut taxes on Social Security keep it from going insolvent? How would you accomplish this without a Republican majority in Congress?
9. What is your pitch to Latter-day Saint voters? There are enough Latter-day Saint voters in Arizona and Nevada to theoretically decide both of those battleground states. What issues are most important to them? According to a recent survey, Latter-day Saints are less likely than any other U.S. religious group to say that leaders should “break the rules”; why should they support for you?
10. What is your relationship with God like? You profess to be a nondenominational Christian. What role does that faith play in your daily life? How does that affect how you view the people around you? Since the assassination attempt, have you added any additional faith practices into your life?

A bonus question for both:

• Does moral character matter for the president of the U.S.? If so, make the case why you have the moral character to be president.

We would, in sincerity, like answers to these questions. I’ve passed them along to the press teams for both campaigns. You’ll be the first to know if we hear back.

What questions did we miss? What would you like to know from the candidates? Let me hear them: onthetrail@deseretnews.com.

Weekend reads

The Democratic National Convention kicks off Monday. All we know about the schedule is that Harris and Walz, per usual, will speak — as will Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Barack and Michelle Obama. The strategy makes sense, in that both former presidents and first ladies are the highest-profile Democrats alive. But does it jive with the Harris-Walz pitch that theirs is a new, fresh, forward-looking message? An argument worth considering. Harris needs to sideline the Clintons and the Obamas at the convention (Matt Lewis, The Hill)

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz had a rough day in the limelight Thursday, facing a series of reports in mainstream press questioning his record and his past statements. Here’s a quick summary: The Washington Post fact-checked a recent statement he made about Sen. JD Vance; ABC reported on criticisms Walz has received over his military record; and CNN dug up false statements from Walz’ 2006 congressional campaign regarding a 1995 DUI charge.

Harris erased Biden’s deficit in the polls. But will that last until Election Day? “Presidential campaigns are a marathon, and this one has turned into a sprint,” said Neil Newhouse, the lead pollster for Mitt Romney’s 2012 campaign. “And that tends to favor the candidate who is new on the horizon.” Will Kamala Harris’ polling lead last? Our polling expert explains. (Steven Shepard, Politico)

BONUS: On the theme of high-skilled labor: what can the U.S. learn from the rest of the world about recruiting a workforce? America is sabotaging itself in the global battle for talent (The Economist)

See you on the trail.

Editor’s Note: The Deseret News is committed to covering issues of substance in the 2024 presidential race from its unique perspective and editorial values. Our team of political reporters will bring you in-depth coverage of the most relevant news and information to help you make an informed decision. Find our complete coverage of the election here.