Where Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump stands on serious issues

PRESIDENTIAL hopeful Donald Trump has deflected accusations he is running a divisive campaign. This is where he stands on serious issues.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gives a thumbs-up as he speaks at campaign stop, Thursday, March 2, 2016, in Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

REPUBLICAN presidential hopeful Donald Trump has skilfully deflected accusations he is running a racially-charged, divisive and disingenuous campaign.

Pundits say he is now one step closer to reaching the White House after convincing wins on Super Tuesday in seven states.

So, where does Trump stand on the issues?

He’s made statements for and against abortion, immigration, Russia, interest hike rates, consumer

protection, white supremacists, civil rights and corporate welfare to name just a few.

Trump has become famous for his divisive statements on the campaign trail. Picture: AP/Steve Helber.

As one policy wonk told News Corp Australia: “trying to evaluate Trump’s policies is an exercise in finger painting.”

Even during the campaign, he has embraced and repudiated the same position, often within days and sometimes hours, in the case of white supremacist David Duke and the KKK.

Romney: ‘Trump supports killing kids’

Trump was asked three times this week if he would disavow support from Duke and three times he declined to do so. Later, he distanced himself from the comments saying his earpiece wasn’t working.

Evaluating Trump’s policies is “an exercise in finger painting”, one political expert said. Picture: AP/John Minchillo.

One thing we can be certain of is that if Trump gets to the White House in November he will be a weathervane president, pointing whichever way the wind blows.

TAX

Trump is arguing for sweeping tax cuts and has pledged to cut the corporate tax rate to 15 per cent from 35 per cent, lower the top income rate to 25 per cent from 39.6 per cent and raise the standard deduction high enough to take 31 million more households off of the income-tax rolls. Trump says the cost of these cuts would be partly offset by limits on certain deductions, and by taxing companies’ global profits, whether patriated or not.

IMMIGRATION

Trump will deport all undocumented individuals, freeze green cards and ban all Muslims from entering the US, at least temporarily. His signature policy focuses on building a wall at the Mexican border, while tripling the number of immigration, custom and enforcement officers. Trump has also said he would establish a “deportation force” to target the roughly 11 million undocumented living in the US. In addition, Trump would end birthright citizenship, the automatic granting of US citizenship to those born on US soil.

Minorities have expressed their fear of Trump becoming president. Picture: AFP/Aaron P. Bernstein.

TRADE

Trump is strongly protectionist on trade and has singled out China for “exploiting its relationship with the US” naming it a currency manipulator. He told the New York Times he plans to impose a 45 per cent tariff on Chinese imports. He later denied the comments, but the paper taped the interview and released the recording. Trump’s criticised the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and said he would restrict free trade to keep jobs in the US.

FOREIGN POLICY

Trump has welcomed Russia’s military support for the Assad regime in Syria, the only major presidential candidate to do so, and has said he would leave the job of fighting ISIS to the government. He wants to create a safe zone for civilians inside Syria that would be paid for by the Gulf states as a way of sidestepping any intake of Syrian refugees. He’s also told voters that he’d maintain the US prison at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba and add more prisoners saying “torture works.” In Iraq, Trump has promised to “bomb the hell” out of ISIS and cut off their funding from oil revenues.

Trump wants to repeal ObamaCare and allow drugs to be imported from overseas to drive down prices. Picture: AP/Robert F. Bukaty.

HEALTH CARE

Trump has promised that ObamaCare will be fully repealed, including the mandate for everyone to have coverage. His main ideas for a replacement are to allow health insurance to be sold across state lines and permit people to make tax-free contributions to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).

Unlike most Republicans, he’s also called for the allowing of drugs to be imported from overseas to increase competition and drive down prices.

GUNS

Trump is advocating for expanded gun rights, but in the past he has called for banning assault weapons and a longer waiting period for gun purchases. He has vowed to undo President Obama’s modest gun executive orders and even called for the elimination of all “gun-free zones” at schools.