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Donald Trump
ChinaPolitics

Explainer | US presidential election: the candidates, the issues, the polls … and China

  • A breakdown of the contest which is shaping up to be a historic clash in a divided country
  • Incumbent Donald Trump and challenger Joe Biden only seem to agree on one issue: China is a threat

Reading Time:6 minutes
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Trump supporters are hoping for a second term for the US president. Photo: Reuters
Ethan Paul
With barely 60 days until US voters elect their next leader, the 2020 US presidential election campaign is building up to one that will get special mention in the history books.
It coincides with a pandemic that has killed more than 180,000 Americans, the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and a national reckoning over the country’s long, troubled history of race relations. To that can be added an escalating conflict with China that may well redraw the map of international relations for the 21st century.

Here is a breakdown of the candidates, the platforms, and the process in the run-up to the vote on November 3, when the nation will decide the fate of its polarising president.

Who are the candidates?

President Donald Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence are looking to win a second term on a message that is more about defending their record than offering a new vision for the country – from “Make America Great Again” to “Keep America Great”.

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The two Republicans argue the US saw an unprecedented economic expansion under their watch, derailed only by China’s failure to contain the Covid-19 disease. More recently, they have pivoted to warning that a victory by Democratic challenger Joe Biden would usher in an era of creeping socialism, along with violence and lawlessness on America’s streets.

“Joe Biden is not a saviour of America’s soul. He is the destroyer of America’s jobs, and if given the chance he will be the destroyer of America’s greatness,” Trump said in his August 28 acceptance speech of his party’s nomination.

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President Donald Trump delivers his acceptance speech during the 2020 Republican National Convention. Photo: Xinhua
President Donald Trump delivers his acceptance speech during the 2020 Republican National Convention. Photo: Xinhua

Trump’s Democratic challengers, former vice-president Joe Biden and his running mate California senator Kamala Harris, are focusing their message on what they call Trump’s lack of leadership in tackling Covid-19, and the economic and public health fallout that followed.

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