U.S. Presidential Election 2024 - Candidate Positions
Home || All Candidates || Military assistance: Ukraine | Israel | Saudi Arabia | Taiwan || Mexico border || Arms Trade Treaty
Given the central role of the United States, the 2024 U.S. presidential election promises to have a significant impact on all the issues tracked by the Forum on the Arms Trade. This resource outlines and analyzes the positions of select Democratic, Republican, and independent candidates on key topics. Until the election occurs, this effort will be a work in progress, and we welcome feedback and additional information on candidates positions, which can be sent to [email protected]. (See also "Methodology" at the end of this page.) Assessments here are not endorsed by Forum experts nor the candidates.
Military assistance to Ukraine
The United States has provided or pledged more than $44 billion in weapons and other security assistance to Ukraine since Russia's February 2022 invasion, and been at the heart of encouraging and coordinating additional transfers from dozens of countries. While President Biden and an apparent majority of members of Congress support additional and ongoing transfers to Ukraine, whether and to what extent to continue military assistance is now a key question in U.S. public discourse. Click
here for fuller analysis on whether candidates support ongoing military assistance to Ukraine.
Arms to Israel
The provision of weapons to Israel has been scrutinized much more closely in recent years, especially after Israel vastly expanded military action in Gaza in response to October 7 attacks by Hamas. In October, President Biden requested an additional $14 billion to support weapons for Israel. Click here for fuller analysis on whether candidates support ongoing or increased military aid to Israel.
Arms to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is the world's second largest importer of major weapons, with the United States accounting for 78% of those imports according to the most recent SIPRI data. While the war in Yemen is not currently garnering the attention it had previously, the provision of weapons to Saudi Arabia has continued to be controversial topic during the Biden administration, especially in the pursuit of an Abraham Accords-like agreement that would normalize relations with Israel. Click here for fuller analysis of whether candidates support continued arms provision to Saudi Arabia.
Arms to Taiwan
Across many presidential administrations, the United States has provided weapons to Taiwan. Such sales have traditionally been controversial to U.S.-Chinese relations, and in recent years U.S. rhetoric about the dangers China poses has intensified as have Chinese military actions around Taiwan. Click here for fuller analysis of whether candidates support increasing weapons sales and transfers to Taiwan.
Military intervention across Mexican border
The role of immigration into the United States, especially across the border with Mexico, has become a major issue in the 2024 election. Some have argued that the United States should use U.S. forces in operations inside Mexican territory as a way to "secure the border" and disable cartels. Click here for fuller analysis of whether candidates support U.S. military intervention directly in Mexican territory.
Arms Trade Treaty
The Arms Trade Treaty is the first global accord to regulate nearly all conventional weapons, establishing the highest international standards to prevent and eradicate their illicit trade and diversion, and requiring states to consider multiple criteria in making arms transfer decisions. It entered into force on December 24, 2014, and today has 113 states parties, including China and major arms producers in Europe. Click here for fuller analysis of whether candidates support the United States being a part of the Arms Trade Treaty, either by honoring its signature to it or through pursuing ratification.
The United States has provided or pledged more than $44 billion in weapons and other security assistance to Ukraine since Russia's February 2022 invasion, and been at the heart of encouraging and coordinating additional transfers from dozens of countries. While President Biden and an apparent majority of members of Congress support additional and ongoing transfers to Ukraine, whether and to what extent to continue military assistance is now a key question in U.S. public discourse. Click
here for fuller analysis on whether candidates support ongoing military assistance to Ukraine.
Arms to Israel
The provision of weapons to Israel has been scrutinized much more closely in recent years, especially after Israel vastly expanded military action in Gaza in response to October 7 attacks by Hamas. In October, President Biden requested an additional $14 billion to support weapons for Israel. Click here for fuller analysis on whether candidates support ongoing or increased military aid to Israel.
Arms to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is the world's second largest importer of major weapons, with the United States accounting for 78% of those imports according to the most recent SIPRI data. While the war in Yemen is not currently garnering the attention it had previously, the provision of weapons to Saudi Arabia has continued to be controversial topic during the Biden administration, especially in the pursuit of an Abraham Accords-like agreement that would normalize relations with Israel. Click here for fuller analysis of whether candidates support continued arms provision to Saudi Arabia.
Arms to Taiwan
Across many presidential administrations, the United States has provided weapons to Taiwan. Such sales have traditionally been controversial to U.S.-Chinese relations, and in recent years U.S. rhetoric about the dangers China poses has intensified as have Chinese military actions around Taiwan. Click here for fuller analysis of whether candidates support increasing weapons sales and transfers to Taiwan.
Military intervention across Mexican border
The role of immigration into the United States, especially across the border with Mexico, has become a major issue in the 2024 election. Some have argued that the United States should use U.S. forces in operations inside Mexican territory as a way to "secure the border" and disable cartels. Click here for fuller analysis of whether candidates support U.S. military intervention directly in Mexican territory.
Arms Trade Treaty
The Arms Trade Treaty is the first global accord to regulate nearly all conventional weapons, establishing the highest international standards to prevent and eradicate their illicit trade and diversion, and requiring states to consider multiple criteria in making arms transfer decisions. It entered into force on December 24, 2014, and today has 113 states parties, including China and major arms producers in Europe. Click here for fuller analysis of whether candidates support the United States being a part of the Arms Trade Treaty, either by honoring its signature to it or through pursuing ratification.
Click on each nominee's name for more information.
METHODOLOGY
For this resource, candidates are sorted first based on party affiliation, then from top to bottom by approximate standing in recent polls, as compiled by fivethirtyeight.com (national, Republican, Democratic). To be listed, a candidate generally needs to have a 3% or higher share in the national or their party polling.
In many cases, candidates have not made explicit statements about the topics tracked by the Forum on the Arms Trade. In describing the positions of candidates, great effort is put into directly linking to relevant statements, interviews, debates, campaign websites, and other documented sources so that readers may reference them directly. For Joe Biden and Donald Trump, policies adopted during their presidential administrations serve as indications of their approach in cases where we have not identified explicit statements made by them. A * indicates a presumed position based on Trump's approach while he was president.
The designation "--" is used in cases where a candidate has not issued an explicit statement on a topic, whether or not they appear likely to support a policy. Nonetheless, pertinent comments short of outright support, as well as other materials, are included in the resource page on each candidate in order to give an indication of possible positions.
This resource, originally launched in early December 2023, will be continually updated until the election. We welcome feedback and other information (please contact us via email).
Jeff Abramson manages the project (originally with the help of former intern Monalisa Hazarika) and consults with Forum-listed experts. The Forum on the Arms Trade does not itself take positions or endorse any candidate for political office. Assessments here are not necessarily endorsed by Forum-listed experts nor the candidates (unless specifically stated).
For this resource, candidates are sorted first based on party affiliation, then from top to bottom by approximate standing in recent polls, as compiled by fivethirtyeight.com (national, Republican, Democratic). To be listed, a candidate generally needs to have a 3% or higher share in the national or their party polling.
In many cases, candidates have not made explicit statements about the topics tracked by the Forum on the Arms Trade. In describing the positions of candidates, great effort is put into directly linking to relevant statements, interviews, debates, campaign websites, and other documented sources so that readers may reference them directly. For Joe Biden and Donald Trump, policies adopted during their presidential administrations serve as indications of their approach in cases where we have not identified explicit statements made by them. A * indicates a presumed position based on Trump's approach while he was president.
The designation "--" is used in cases where a candidate has not issued an explicit statement on a topic, whether or not they appear likely to support a policy. Nonetheless, pertinent comments short of outright support, as well as other materials, are included in the resource page on each candidate in order to give an indication of possible positions.
This resource, originally launched in early December 2023, will be continually updated until the election. We welcome feedback and other information (please contact us via email).
Jeff Abramson manages the project (originally with the help of former intern Monalisa Hazarika) and consults with Forum-listed experts. The Forum on the Arms Trade does not itself take positions or endorse any candidate for political office. Assessments here are not necessarily endorsed by Forum-listed experts nor the candidates (unless specifically stated).