2024 presidential candidates on foreign policy

2024 presidential candidates on the issues

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, 2020-2024 • Abortion • Administrative state • Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation • Coronavirus response • Criminal justice • Policing • Trump indictments • Courts • Economy • Social Security • Taxes • Inflation • Job creation • Education • Charter schools and voucher programs • School curriculums and parental involvement • College affordability • Election policy • Energy and environmental issues • Climate change • Energy production • Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) • Federalism • Foreign policy • China (foreign policy) • Russia • Russia-Ukraine War • Middle East and North Africa • South and Central America • Israel-Hamas War • Israel-Palestine conflict • Government ethics • Gun regulation • Healthcare • Medicare • Sex and gender issues • Transgender healthcare • Immigration • Border security • Immigration enforcement • Impeachment • Infrastructure • Opioids and drug issues • Trade • China (trade) • Veterans

Presidential election
Presidential candidates
Republican nomination

Democratic nomination

This page includes statements from the 2024 presidential candidates on foreign policy. These statements were compiled from each candidate's official campaign website, editorials, speeches, and debates.

The candidates featured on this page were the noteworthy Democratic and Republican candidates in the 2024 presidential election. Only candidates who addressed this page's issue on their campaign website, in public statements, or in public speeches have a quote featured on this page. See something we missed? Email us. The active noteworthy presidential candidates as of November 5, 2025, were:

Kamala Harris (D)
Donald Trump (R)
Chase Oliver (L)
Jill Stein (G)

Foreign policy

Democratic candidates

Joe Biden

In an op-ed Biden wrote, "The United States is the essential nation. We rally allies and partners to stand up to aggressors and make progress toward a brighter, more peaceful future. The world looks to us to solve the problems of our time. That is the duty of leadership, and America will lead. For if we walk away from the challenges of today, the risk of conflict could spread, and the costs to address them will only rise. We will not let that happen." ^{[source, as of 2023-11-18]}

Kamala D. Harris

Harris' campaign website said, "Vice President Harris will never waver in defense of America’s security and ideals. As Vice President, she has confronted threats to our security, negotiated with foreign leaders, strengthened our alliances, and engaged with our brave troops overseas. As commander in chief, she will ensure that the United States military remains the strongest, most lethal fighting force in the world, that we unleash the power of American innovation and win the competition for the 21st century, and that we strengthen, not abdicate, our global leadership. And Vice President Harris will fulfill our sacred obligation to care for our troops and their families, and will always honor their service and their sacrifice." ^{[source, as of 2024-09-09]}

Republican candidates

Ron DeSantis

DeSantis' campaign website listed the following pillars of his foreign policy plan, "Seizing the Initiative, Recovering American Deterrence, Securing the Peace; Revamping National Economic Security to Beat China's Economic Coercion; Dominating the Technologies of Today and Tomorrow; Protecting the Homeland; Revitalizing U.S. Sovereignty and Countering China with Allies." ^{[source, as of 2023-12-19]}

Nikki Haley

In a speech Haley said, "The America I see will win the fight for the 21st Century. We’ll have the courage and confidence to defend our values and defeat our enemies. In this America, the Armed Forces of the United States will be stronger and more capable than ever. A strong military doesn’t start wars. A strong military prevents wars! In this America, we’ll start pumping more oil and gas – and stop buying dirty oil from Venezuela. We’ll stand with our allies – from Israel to Ukraine – and stand up to our enemies – in Iran and Russia. And in the America I see, Communist China won’t just lose… Like the Soviet Union before it, Communist China will end up on the ash-heap of history!" ^{[source, as of 2023-02-15]}

Asa Hutchinson

In his campaign announcement, Hutchinson said, "Isolationism only leads to weakness and weakness leads to war. Americans want peace and the best way to secure and preserve peace is to have the most prepared military in the world." ^{[source, as of 2023-04-02]}

Vivek Ramaswamy

In a Republican debate, Ramaswamy said, "I want to be careful to avoid making the mistakes from the NeoCon establishment of the past. Corrupt politicians in both parties spent trillions, killed millions, made billions for themselves in places like Iraq and Afghanistan, fighting wars that sent 1000s of our sons and daughters, people my age to die in wars that did not advance anyone’s interests. Adding $7 trillion to our national debt." ^{[source, as of 2023-11-08]}

Donald Trump

Trump's campaign website said, "President Donald J. Trump replaced the failed policy of never-ending war, regime change and nation-building with a bold vision to pursue peace through strength. [...] Joe Biden has undermined our military readiness and surrendered our strength to the Taliban. President Trump will defend America against all threats, protect America against all dangers, and keep America out of unnecessary foreign wars. He will also get Biden’s radical left ideology out of our military and rehire every patriot who was unjustly fired. To protect our people from the threat of nuclear weapons and hypersonic missiles, President Trump will also build a state-of-the-art next-generation missile defense shield." ^{[source, as of 2023-12-21]}