Trump Vs. Clinton: Where The Candidates Fall On The Most Important Issues

It's finally down to two.¹ The people have voted and they've chosen Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump as the Democratic and Republican nominees for the presidency. To mark the beginning of the general election season, here's a primer on where the candidates stand on the essential issues² of the 2016 presidential election.

Gun Control

Donald Trump 

Fewer Restrictions On Guns 

Throughout his attempts to enter politics, Donald Trump has opposed gun control, but in the last 15 years, the presidential candidate has only become more conservative on firearm regulation. 

In Donald Trump's 2000 book, The America We Deserve, he expressed a moderate stance on gun control:

I generally oppose gun control, but I support the ban on assault weapons and I also support a slightly longer waiting period to purchase a gun.

During the run-up to his decision not to enter the race for president in 2012, Trump spoke at CPAC, where he painted his policy positions with broad strokes and espoused a conservative view on gun control:

I am pro-life… I am against gun control… I will fight to end Obamacare and replace it with something that makes sense for people in business and not bankrupt the country.

In 2015, Trump adopted a more conservative position, disavowing his previous statement about assault weapons,³ and calling for looser restrictions and policies such as eliminating gun-free zones (a few of which are at his resorts) and making concealed carry permits transferable between states. Trump explain his new position on his website:

Opponents of gun rights try to come up with scary sounding phrases like "assault weapons", "military-style weapons" and "high capacity magazines" to confuse people. What they're really talking about are popular semi-automatic rifles and standard magazines that are owned by tens of millions of Americans. Law-abiding people should be allowed to own the firearm of their choice. 

In response to the Orlando massacre in mid-June, Trump explained his changed stance on assault weapons on CBS:

I changed positions because we need protection in this country. We need protection. We have to have protection…And the bad guys have them, so if the bad guys have them, we need protection in this country.

Hillary Clinton 

Assault Weapons Ban, Universal Background Checks, Close Loopholes

Hillary Clinton has generally been an advocate of gun control during her political career, most recently spearheading pushes for an assault weapons ban and better background checks. 

As a senator, Hillary Clinton voted against a 2004 bill that would have banned lawsuits against gun manufacturers for gun violence and voted for an assault weapons ban. In 2000, speaking to the National Education Association, Clinton illustrated broad support of gun control in the name of protecting children:

We have to do everything possible to keep guns out of the hands of children, and we need to stand firm on behalf of the sensible gun control legislation that passed the Senate and then was watered down in the House. It does not make sense for us at this point in our history to turn our backs on the reality that there are too many guns and too many children have access to those guns-and we have to act to prevent that.

During her 2008 campaign for president, however, Clinton spoke with a much more conservative tone on guns, suggesting that gun ownership was a fundamental part of America — contrasting herself with opponent Barack Obama who was quoted saying some in small towns "cling to guns." During the 2008 Las Vegas Democratic debate, Clinton struck a more conservative tone:

I don't want the federal government preempting states and cities like New York that have very specific problems…I believe in the Second Amendment. People have a right to bear arms. But I also believe that we can common-sensically approach this, and backed off a national licensing registration plan.

But after 2008, Clinton returned to a more liberal position. On her campaign website, Clinton emphasizes strengthening background checks and closing loopholes, repealing laws that protect gun manufacturers and banning assault weapons. After the tragedy in Orlando, Clinton re-emphasized a commitment to the policies she lists on her website in a speech delivered in Cleveland:

I believe weapons of war have no place on our streets. We may have our disagreements about gun safety regulations, but we should all be able to agree on a few essential things. If the FBI is watching you for suspected terrorist links, you shouldn't be able to just go up by a gun with no questions asked. And you shouldn't be able to exploit loopholes and evade criminal background check by buying online or at a gun show.  

Immigration

Donald Trump 

Build A Wall, Mass Deportations, Temporarily Ban Muslim Immigration

Donald Trump has always been a strict conservative when it comes to immigration. In his 2000 book The America We Deserve Trump wrote about his stances on legal and illegal immigration:

[L]egal immigrants do not and should not enter easily. It's a long, costly, draining, and often frustrating experience-by design. I say to legal immigrants: Welcome and good luck…It comes down to this: we must take care of our own people first. Our policy to people born elsewhere should be clear: Enter by the law, or leave.

Trump has combined his views on immigration with a pronounced fear of Islam, which he exhibits in a series of 2011 interviews where he states he believes there's a "Muslim problem" that the world needs to address.

Immigration is a major plank of Trump's current platform. One of his most controversial immigration proposals is the promise of building a giant wall on the southern US border. His "we're going to build a big, beautiful wall," policy stretches back to his announcement speech last year:

I will build a great wall — and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me — and I'll build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words.

Trump claims that the wall will only cost $12 billion, but some experts predict that it will cost $25 billion). A key part of the proposal is his insistence that he will be able to force the Mexican government to pay for the wall, using tactics that he lists on his website, such as canceling visas and imposing visa fees. 

Trump has not been shy about the other major aspect of his immigration plan — mass deportation of all undocumented immigrants in the US. When asked about the logistics of deporting over 11 million undocumented immigrants on MSNBC, Trump responded:

You're going to have a deportation force, and you're going to do it humanely.

Another aspect of Trump's proposed immigration policy came after shooting in San Bernardino, when he proposed that America ban Muslim immigration. In the wake of the tragedy, Trump issued a statement saying:

Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on.

After the historic mass shooting in Orlando, Trump went a step further in one New Hampshire speech:

When I'm elected I will suspend immigration from areas of the world where there's a proven history of terrorism against the United States, Europe or our allies until we fully understand how to end these threats. 

Referencing Hillary Clinton's call to increase America's acceptance of Syrian refugees, Trump likened the situation to the Trojan Horse — indicating that he believes the US should accept zero refugees from Syria.

This could be a better, bigger, more horrible version than the legendary Trojan Horse ever was. Altogether, under the Clinton plan, you'd be admitting hundreds of thousands of refugees from the Middle East with no system to vet them, or to prevent the radicalization of the children and their children. 

Some are skeptical that Trump actually intends to carry out the plan as is. In an off-the-record interview with the New York Times, Trump supposedly indicated wiggle room on his immigration policies. And publicly, Trump hinted that he believes mass deportation is negotiable when he dodged a question on The Sean Hannity Show:

HANNITY: It's not negotiable about — would it be negotiable about the 11 million, maybe let some people stay if they register in a period of time?

TRUMP: I would say this. Look, I've always said we have some good people over here, and they're going to go out, but we will work out some system that's fair. But we either have a country or we don't. We need a border. We need a wall. We need a wall.

Hillary Clinton

A Path To Citizenship, Take In More Refugees

As Hillary Clinton has developed her political career, her stances on immigration have gotten more liberal.

Early in Hillary Clinton's congressional career, she was somewhat conservative when it came to immigration — taking a hard line in a 2004 radio interview:

I am adamantly against illegal immigrants… Clearly, we have to make some tough decisions as a country, and one of them ought to be coming up with a much better entry-and-exit system so that if we're going to let people in for the work that otherwise would not be done, let's have a system that keeps track of them.

In 2006, Clinton (along with Bernie Sanders and Barack Obama) voted to build the fence that currently exists along portions of the border, matching a statement that she made on Fox News in 2004:

I don't think that we have protected our borders or our ports or provided our first responders with the resources they need, so we can do more and we can do better.

By 2008, Clinton had reversed her position on fencing, advocating for putting more personnel on the border with better technology instead of a fence:

There's a lot we've learned about technology and smart fencing. There is technology that can be used instead of a physical barrier. It requires us having enough personnel along the border so that people can be supervising a certain limited amount of space and can be responsive in the event of people attempting to cross illegally. 

In her 2016 campaign, Clinton has continued to shift to the left on border security, calling Trump's wall a "fantasy," and indicating that her platform doesn't include any plan to strengthen border security:

We have a secure border. There's no need for this rhetoric and demagoguery that still is carried out on the Republican side. You've run out of excuses. Let's move to comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship.

Clinton's solution to existing undocumented immigrants is vague but supportive of a path to citizenship (with unspecified criteria and qualifications) and the continuation of President Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which affords undocumented children raised in the US exemption from deportation. On her website she says:

Congress must pass comprehensive immigration reform that provides a path to citizenship, treats every person with dignity, upholds the rule of law, protects our borders and national security, and brings millions of hardworking people into the formal economy…Hillary will defend DACA and DAPA against partisan attacks and politically motivated lawsuits that would put DREAMers and others at risk of deportation. 

In 2007, Hillary Clinton was also on record as supporting a path to citizenship:

I'm in favor of comprehensive immigration reform, which includes tightening our border security, sanctioning employers to employ undocumented immigrants, getting the 12 million or so immigrants out of the shadows. That's very important to me. After 9/11, we've got to know who's in this country. And then giving them a chance to pay a fine, pay back taxes, learn English & stand in line to be eligible for a legal status in this country.

Clinton has also vocally campaigned for the US to take a greater number of Syrian refugees, saying in the CBS primary debate:

[W]e should take increased numbers of refugees. The administration originally said 10[000]. I said we should go to 65[000], but only if we have as careful a screening and vetting process as we can imagine, whatever resources it takes because I do not want us to, in any way, inadvertently allow people who wish us harm to come into our country.

Clinton maintained her support of taking refugees after the San Bernardino attack, stating in PBS's February debate:

This is a humanitarian catastrophe. The US has to support our allies in Europe. We have to provide financial support. We have to provide the NATO support to back up the mission that is going on. And we have to take properly vetted refugees ourselves.

After Trump initially announced his proposed ban on Muslims, Clinton called the move discriminatory at ABC's December debate — claiming Trump is doing exactly what ISIS wants.

We also need to make sure that the really discriminatory messages that Trump is sending around the world don't fall on receptive ears. He is becoming ISIS's best recruiter. They are going to people [and] showing videos of Donald Trump insulting Islam and Muslims in order to recruit more radical jihadists. So I want to explain why this is not in America's interest to react with this kind of fear and respond to this sort of bigotry.

In response to Trump's second call for a ban on immigration from areas with a "history of terrorism," Clinton called Trump's ideas dangerous:

I've talked before about how this approach is un-American. It goes against everything we stand for as a country founded on religious freedom. But it is also dangerous.

LGBT Issues

Donald Trump

Consistently Opposed To Same-Sex Marriage, Tentative Support Of Employment Protection, Loosely Opposes Bathroom Bans, Conditional Support Of 'Religious Freedom' Bills

Donald Trump has repeatedly tried to show that he has gay interests at heart, referencing his "many fabulous friends who happen to be gay" and even congratulating Elton John on his wedding. But when it comes to the issue of same-sex marriage as a matter of policy, Trump has consistently voiced opposition.⁴  

In 2011, he told The Des Moines Register that gay people should be prohibited from marrying and receiving the same benefits as straight couples. In 2013, he told MSNBC that while he was "evolving" on the issues, he still supported "traditional marriage… between a man and a woman." Most strikingly, he told Fox News in January of 2016 that he would strongly consider appointing justices to the Supreme Court that would overrule the Court's previous gay marriage ruling — an apparent departure from statements he made the year before on Kim Davis, where he said, "You have to go with it. The decision's been made, and that is the law of the land."

In the sweeping and powerful push for gay marriage in the years leading up to 2015, other LGBT political issues like employment protection fell through the cracks in political arenas and press coverage. Unfortunately, this has left the world with little record of the Republican nominee's thoughts on more nuanced LGBT issues.

Looking at the little history we do have, it looks like Donald Trump could be supportive of bills such as The Equality Act and ENDA that ban discrimination by employers against LGBT people. In a 2000 issue of the Advocate, Donald Trump stated his support for LGBT employment protection and a federal hate crimes law (which he also voiced support in his 2000 book The America We Deserve):

I like the idea of amending the Civil Rights Act to include a ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation. It would be simple. It would be straightforward. We don't need to rewrite the laws currently on the books, although I do think we need to address hate-crimes legislation. But amending the Civil Rights Act would grant the same protection to gay people that we give to other Americans — it's only fair. I actually suggested this first, and now I see [Democratic presidential candidate] Bill Bradley has jumped on the bandwagon and is claiming the idea as his own.

Slightly complicating this support, however, is Trump's opinion on President Obama's executive orders — one of which provides protection against employment discrimination for all federal employees and contractors. In January, Trump told Face The Nation's John Dickerson:

I would be rescinding a lot of executive orders that he's done. He just — the one good about executive order, the new president, if he comes in, boom, first day, first hour, first minute, you can rescind them.

As more LGBT issues have come up during his campaign, Trump has appeared relatively liberal compared to his Republican counterparts. When North Carolina passed a sweeping bill earlier this year that barred transgender individuals from using any public bathroom of a gender not on their birth certificate (while also banning laws that would protect LGBT individuals from discrimination) Trump initially came out against the ban saying:

North Carolina did something that was very strong and they're paying a big price. There's a lot of problems … You leave it the way it is. There have been very few complaints the way it is. People go, they use the bathroom they feel is appropriate, there has been so little trouble, and the problem with what happened in North Carolina is the strife, and the economic punishment that they're taking.

Hours after his statement, though, Trump clarified that while he still believes it was the wrong choice, he ultimately thinks it's up to the states to make the decision:

…And I fully understand that they want to go through, but they are losing business, and they are having people come out against… I think that local communities and states should make the decision… And I feel very strongly about that.

Besides bathroom bills, the Republican party has also shifted its LGBT focus to that of 'religious liberty' or the perceived right of business owners to deny service to gay individuals based on their religious beliefs. This manifested itself in Indiana's controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which was originally was intended to create a means for businesses to discriminate based on sexual orientation, but was eventually amended to "fix" the possibility of using it for the purpose of discrimination. This bill led to a wave of similar state bills, along with a proposed federal bill called the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA). 

When pressed to sign a document of support for FADA in December, Trump was the only Republican candidate to refuse, issuing a response letter instead indicating support only if it passed congress:

If Congress considers the First Amendment Defense Act a priority, then I will do all I can to make sure it comes to my desk for signatures and enactment… The priorities that the next president will need to establish are not known at this time… Protection of the nation and its citizens must come first. Getting the economy back on track must be near the top of the list. Preserving and protecting the rights of our citizens must also be in the mix.

These lukewarm statements are opposed to what he said in September, 2015 at the Iowa Fair and Freedom Forum:

The first priority of my administration will be to preserve and protect our religious liberty. The First Amendment guarantees us our right to practice our faith as we see fit, not just during the holy days, but all the time — always, wherever.

Most recently, however, Trump has re-upped on his commitment to Christian conservatives, saying religious liberty is "the number one question," and that he wants to work on things like "freeing up your religion, freeing up your thoughts. You talk about religious liberty and religious freedom, you don't have any religious freedom if you think about it."

Hillary Clinton

Spotty History With Gay Marriage, Consistent Support Of Non-Discrimination Act, Opposed To 'Religious Freedom' Bills, Generally Supportive Of Transgender Rights

Hillary Clinton has made the success of gay marriage a highlight of her campaign, invoking the newly-won right three times on the LGBT section of her campaign website, issuing a celebratory statement after the Supreme Court decision that legalized gay marriage, and including a gay married couple in her campaign announcement video. 

But Hillary's support of what is now the law of the land is incredibly recent. Her supportive stance only came in 2013, after a decade of opposition to same-sex marriage. 

In 2000, Hillary Clinton defended her husband's decision to sign the Defense Of Marriage Act, a law that limits the benefits available to gay married couples — saying that at the time she would have voted for it as a senator:

I believe marriage means something different. Marriage is about a historic, religious and moral content that goes back to the beginning of time and I think a marriage is as a marriage has always been between a man and a woman.

Clinton spoke enthusiastically about civil unions as the right option during her 2000 senate campaign.⁵ In 2004, Clinton argued against a federal amendment that would have banned gay marriage, but reiterated her belief that marriage was between a man and a woman in a now notorious speech:

In 2006 Clinton said that she would support same-sex marriage in New York if the state voted for it, but that she was still personally opposed to gay marriage. During Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign, she continued to support civil unions over marriage, as did Barack Obama. 

As secretary of state, Clinton vocally pushed LGBT rights abroad and in the state department. While Clinton couldn't come out in favor of same-sex marriage before her boss (the president), her emails seem to suggest that over that period of time she came to the conclusion to support same-sex marriage, playing an indirect role in lobbying a Maryland representative in support of gay marriage in 2012.

In 2013, after leaving the role of Secretary of State and two years before the legalization of gay marriage, Clinton released a video announcing her new position of support.

After the announcement, Terry Gross grilled Clinton on the substance of her change of heart, suggesting it may be politically motivated. Clinton shot back, maintaining that she had a genuine change of heart on the issues, just like the rest of the country.

After the marriage equality became the law of the land, Hillary Clinton began to vocally support The Equality Act. In addition to a pledge to work to pass the act on her website, in 2015 Hillary gave an impassioned speech where she said the passage of the act was her "highest priority."

Unlike her support of gay marriage, Hillary Clinton's support for non-discrimination acts came early. In 2001 and 2003, Clinton (as a Senator) cosponsored the Employment Non-Discrimination Act — a watered down version of the Equality Act. Additionally, As secretary of state, Clinton ordered the State Department's equal employment policy to "explicitly protect against discriminatory treatment of employees and job applicants based on gender identity."

In recent LGBT controversies, Clinton has tried to remain outspokenly supportive of the LGBT population. Hillary Clinton has repeatedly spoken out against "religious freedom" bills like FADA. In an October 2015 speech to the pro-LGBT organization Human Rights Campaign, she addressed the message that such laws send to LGBT kids:

There are still public officials doing everything in their power to interfere with your rights… you see a Republican candidate for president… standing in the court house door… calling for people to join him in resisting a supreme court ruling… when Republicans in Indiana pass a law letting businesses deny service to LGBT customers under the guise of religious freedom… if you're a young gay or transgender kid, the message is unmistakable: there's something wrong with you, you're not a real citizen, you're not wanted here, you're not welcome.

Hillary Clinton also came out against the laws in Mississippi and Indiana on Twitter:

Sad this new Indiana law can happen in America today. We shouldn't discriminate against ppl bc of who they love #LGBT http://t.co/mDhpS18oEH

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) March 27, 2015

Refusing to serve LGBT people because of who they are is discrimination. End of story.
https://t.co/mD5Jkq3gbA

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) April 6, 2016

Despite her attempts to vocally support LGBT rights throughout her campaign, Clinton dodged the hyper-public bathroom bill debate. Clinton has held back on giving direct statements on the issue — presumably to prevent backlash from her older voter base. 

After the Obama administration directed public schools to provide access to bathrooms and locker rooms for trans kids, Clinton gave her tepid support — affirming the action through a spokesperson as one that's generally supportive of the LGBT population:

Hillary Clinton applauds the Obama administration for taking actions this week to stand up for the rights of LGBT people — and particularly for the rights of transgender people — across the country. As president, she will fight to make sure all Americans can live their lives free from discrimination.

In a somewhat similar case, Hillary's campaign tweeted in support of a broad civil rights ordinance in Houston that was pegged primarily as a bathroom bill by a conservative campaign. Again, Hillary did not issue a direct statement on the issue:

.@GregAbbott_TX is right about one thing: equality is one of Hillary's values. Houston—vote #YesOnProp1 today. https://t.co/AI0IWnqhB7

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) November 3, 2015

After the initial signing of the North Carolina's bathroom bill, Hillary again tweeted in support of transgender equality without invoking the bathroom issue:

LGBT people should be protected from discrimination under the law—period. https://t.co/IMOyRZe5Gh -H

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) March 24, 2016

Energy And Climate Change

Donald Trump

Doesn't Believe In Climate Change, More Drilling, More Mining, More Fuel Alternatives Only If They Make 'Financial Sense'

One of the most fundamental questions for candidates in terms of their energy policies and opinions is whether or not they believe in anthropogenic global warming. For most, the answer is probably an indicator for all sorts of energy policies — and Donald Trump is no exception.

Trump has repeatedly denied that he believes we're responsible for climate change, telling CNN in September "I don't believe in climate change." In August 2015, Donald Trump told MamaGrizzRadio that he just calls the changing climate 'bad weather':

You're going to have bad weather. So often I watch the evening newscasts and every time there is a rainstorm some place, and then they wonder why they don't do well, they say, 'It's raining here and it's raining there,' usually leading the program. I call it weather. Maybe there's a little bit of change, I don't happen to believe it's manmade.

In 2012, Trump even went even further, claiming that the idea of climate change was a hoax organized by "the Chinese":

The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 6, 2012

Donald Trump has made statements indicating his support for renewable energy options, but only if they make financial sense (he's also been highly critical of alternative energy sources for other reasons, having tweeted about wind farms over 100 times in the past three years).

In his 2015 book, Crippled America, Trump criticized alternative energy sources as being ill-advised:

There has been a big push to develop alternative forms of energy — so-called green energy — from renewable sources. That's a big mistake…The most popular source of green energy is solar panels. They work, but they don't make economic sense. They don't provide enough energy savings to cover the cost of installing and using them.

In 2012, Trump began a crusade against wind energy after turbines erected in Scotland supposedly wrecked the view at his resort and golf course. In a letter to Scotland's First Minister, Trump said: 

With the reckless installation of these monsters, you will single-handedly have done more damage to Scotland than virtually any event in Scottish history…As a matter of fact, I have just authorized my staff to allocate a substantial amount of money to launch an international campaign to fight your plan to surround Scotland's coast with many thousands of wind turbines.

At a campaign stop in Iowa last November, Trump indicated support for energy alternatives, while simultaneously pointing out the supposed downsides of wind while talking about the wind energy tax credit — a credit given to companies that produce wind power:

I'm fine with it. Any form of energy — we've got to get away from the Middle East. I will say, wind is a problem because it's very expensive to build the towers — very, very expensive. As you know, when you have $40 oil, it's not economic, so they're going to have to do a subsidy, otherwise wind isn't going to work. Wind is a very expensive form of energy, and it's got problems of storage, and lots of other things. 

Despite his lukewarm support of renewables, Trump has been outspoken about wanting to increase oil-drilling and coal-mining, stating in a May 2016 press release that he'd "lift moratoriums on energy production in federal areas. We're going to revoke policies that impose unwarranted restrictions on new drilling technologies." In June, Trump said in a CNN appearance:

[Hillary] wants to shut down, and she said it just recently, she wants to shut down the miners. I want to do exactly the opposite.

Trump has been a longtime and consistent supporter of fracking, which has been criticized for potentially contaminating local drinking water and causing earthquakes. In 2012, Trump tweeted support:

Fracking will lead to American energy independence. With price of natural gas continuing to drop, we can be at a tremendous advantage.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2012

Hillary Clinton

Longtime Supporter Of Renewable Energy And Climate Research, Ambitious Solar Plan, Reduce Oil Consumption, Does Not Favor A Full Fracking Ban

As a Senator, Hillary Clinton was vocal about anthropogenic climate change and our need to address it. 

In 2004, Senator Clinton and John McCain led a delegation of Senators to Alaska and Norway to see the early effects of global warming. In 2007, she voted yes on a bill requiring the consideration of global warming in federal project planning.

In a statement made through Quora this year, Hillary Clinton reiterated her commitment to addressing climate change:

Climate change is one of the most serious challenges we face. It's real, it's driven by human activity, and it's happening right now. We need to use every tool we have to combat climate change and accelerate the transition to a clean energy future.

Clinton has been a longtime supporter of renewable energy initiatives. In 2005, she went on record saying she "would advocate a much more concerted effort on our government's part to fund an extensive research project into alternative forms of energy." In 2007, she co-sponsored a bill setting a goal of 25% renewable energy in the US by 2025. Throughout her career she has voted for bill extending the production tax credit for renewable energy production, saying in 2015 that: 

We need to change the tax incentives, we need to continue the production tax credits, we need to be investing in solar and wind and advanced biofuels, and yes, energy efficiency and there are millions of jobs if we do that right.

For this year's campaign, Clinton unveiled an ambitious plan to get the US to 33% renewable energy by 2027 using solar power. Clinton also says she wants to ban oil, coal and gas extraction on all federal land:

I want to impose a moratorium … because there are legal issues you have to go through, you know all of that, but I would support a moratorium.

Clinton's record isn't completely clean in many environmentalists' books, though. As Secretary Of State, Clinton was criticized for her alleged support of The Keystone Pipeline and fracking. For both issues, though, Clinton indicated that her support came from a place of pragmatism in the face of a political environment that shuts out ideal solutions. In 2010, Clinton showed reserved support of the Keystone pipeline (a now-dead project that would have delivered massive amounts of oil from Canada's tar sands):

[W]e've not yet signed off on it. But we are inclined to do so, and we are for several reasons — going back to one of your original questions — we're either going to be dependent on dirty oil from the Gulf or dirty oil from Canada. And until we can get our act together as a country and figure out that clean, renewable energy is in both our economic interests and the interests of our planet.

After announcing her presidential campaign, Clinton came out against the pipeline, which her opponents say was a flip flop. At an Iowa campaign event, Clinton explained her position:

I think it is imperative that we look at the Keystone pipeline as what I believe it is…a distraction from important work we have to do on climate change. And unfortunately from my perspective, one that interferes with our ability to move forward with all the other issues. Therefore, I oppose it.

Clinton's support of fracking as Secretary of State was more unequivocal. Clinton played a crucial role in promoting fracking worldwide, a Mother Jone's investigation found. She established a special program within the state department to interface with public and private groups around the globe in an effort to spread the practice of fracking and support the international gas market, according to The Intercept.

When asked about fracking in March's Flint debate, Clinton espoused a position of support given state and local approval:

I don't support it when any locality or any state is against it, No. 1. I don't support it when the release of methane or contamination of water is present. I don't support it — No. 3 — unless we can require that anybody who fracks has to tell us exactly what chemicals they are using. So by the time we get through all of my conditions, I do not think there will be many places in America where fracking will continue to take place.

Women's Healthcare And Abortion

Donald Trump 

Ban Abortion With Exceptions (Previously Pro-Choice), Defund Planned Parenthood

Donald Trump has settled on the position of banning abortion, with exceptions for rape and incest — stating in April that he would amend the Republican platform to reflect that position, but that only comes after a long history of deeply conflicted views on the subject.

Less than a month earlier, Donald Trump drew criticism for stating that abortion should be banned and that women should be punished if they were found to have had abortions. Trump's campaign later clarified that doctors should be punished for administering abortions — not the women themselves.

In 2011, when Trump was considering a presidential run, he publicly switched from being pro-choice to pro-life, stating on The 700 Club that he was influenced by a friend's story:

I'm pro-life, but I changed my view a number of years ago. One of the primary reasons I changed [was] a friend of mine's wife was pregnant, and he didn't really want the baby. He was crying as he was telling me the story. He ends up having the baby and the baby is the apple of his eye. It's the greatest thing that's ever happened to him. And you know here's a baby that wasn't going to be let into life. And I heard this, and some other stories, and I am pro-life.

Up until then, Trump had a long history as pro-choice, saying "I'm totally pro-choice," and "I've very pro-choice," in a series of 1999 interviews.

Like his record on abortion itself, Trump's record on funding for women's health is conflicted. In 1989, Trump co-sponsored a fundraiser for the National Abortion Rights Action League, a pro-choice group. 

In August, 2015, Trump was forced to answer questions concerning Planned Parenthood funding for his campaign — telling Hugh Hewitt that it was worth shutting down the government to defund Planned Parenthood. A few days later on CNN, Trump revised his position saying:

I would look at the good aspects of it, and I would also look because I'm sure they do some things properly and good for women…The abortion aspect of Planned Parenthood should absolutely not be funded.

Since then, Trump has repeatedly stated that he believes the Planned Parenthood should be defunded if they continue abortions. 

Hillary Clinton

Pro-Choice, Pro-Planned Parenthood Forever And Always

Hillary Clinton is firmly pro-choice, supporting the right to legal abortions since early in her political career through votes, legislation and speeches. In April of 2016, Clinton summed up her position on Meet The Press:

My position is in line with Roe v. Wade, that women have a constitutional right to make these most intimate and personal and difficult decisions based on their conscience, their faith, their family, their doctor and that it is something that really goes to the core of privacy. And I want to maintain that constitutional protection under Roe v. Wade. As you know, there is room for reasonable kinds of restrictions. After a certain point in time, I think the life, the health of the mother are clear. And those should be included even as one moves on in that pregnancy…The unborn person doesn't have constitutional rights.

Ramping up to her presidential run in 2008, Clinton frequently used the phrase "safe, legal and rare" to express her ideas on abortion — emphasizing her belief in the right to abortions along with her goal to prevent their use through contraception and other women's health initiatives.

Clinton is unabashedly allied with Planned Parenthood, speaking out repeatedly against Republican efforts to defund the women's health organization, stating that she thinks the group deserves more funding, and earning Planned Parenthood's first-ever presidential endorsement. Clinton summed up her position on Planned Parenthood in a campaign video released in August, 2015.

When politicians talk about defunding Planned Parenthood, they're talking about blocking millions of women, men, and young people from live-saving preventive care: cancer screenings, breast exams, birth control…I'm proud to stand with Planned Parenthood, I'll never stop fighting to protect the ability and right of every woman in this country to make her own health decisions." 

Republicans are trying to cut millions off from health care. Hillary has a message for them. #standwithPPhttps://t.co/iIz1sUPu2z

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) August 3, 2015