Different Perspectives on Kamala Harris and Donald Trump: A Look Beyond the Campaign Trail
Throughout any election season, American voters are flooded with familiar images of the candidates: at podiums, greeting rally crowds, or stepping down aircraft stairs. But there’s a different, more personal story behind these figures. Here’s a unique look at Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, stretching back long before they set their sights on the White House.
From early beginnings, both Harris and Trump were shaped by their families and hometowns. Kamala Harris spent her early years in Oakland, California, alongside her sister Maya. Raised primarily by their mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris—an Indian-born cancer researcher and social activist—Harris’s upbringing was imbued with an awareness of civil rights. Meanwhile, Donald Trump grew up in Queens, New York, under the roof of Fred and Mary Trump. His father, Fred, was the son of German immigrants and a real estate mogul, while his mother, Mary, hailed from Scotland.
Their paths to adulthood diverged significantly. Harris’s family moved to Montreal, Canada, where she attended high school while her mother took on a teaching position at McGill University. Later, Harris enrolled at Howard University in Washington, D.C., an institution rich in Black culture and history. Trump, on the other hand, was enrolled in the New York Military Academy at age 13, a move that, according to him, helped build his leadership skills. He would later attend the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was groomed to take over the family business.
Both figures’ young adulthood also set the stage for the convictions they’d later bring to their political lives. Harris’s values were shaped by her mother’s dedication to social justice; she even participated in the Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom March in Washington in 2004. Trump, meanwhile, followed in his father’s footsteps to join the family business, eventually assuming leadership and expanding his influence through real estate.
Fast forward to their political careers, and each took strikingly different paths to prominence. Harris’s rise was steady within California’s justice system, where she served as Attorney General before winning a Senate seat in 2016. Trump’s journey to the White House took a more unexpected turn, as he shocked the world by defeating Hillary Clinton in 2016 to become president.
When Harris joined Joe Biden’s ticket in 2020, they went on to defeat Trump and Mike Pence, marking a new chapter in American politics with Harris making history as the first Black and Asian-American vice president. Yet, her early vice-presidential years were marked by Covid-19 challenges, mask mandates, and the George Floyd protests, a time that tested the Biden-Harris administration’s mettle.
Not all of Harris’s tenure has been smooth; she found her voice championing women’s rights when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, a decision enabled by Trump’s conservative court appointments during his term. During his time in office, Trump had also withdrawn the U.S. from the Paris climate accord and pushed for strict immigration policies.
Foreign policy has also played a role in defining their respective terms. Harris’s first international visit as vice president was to Guatemala in 2021, where she sought to address issues contributing to migration from Latin America. Trump’s initial visit abroad as president in 2017 took him to Saudi Arabia, showcasing his interest in advancing American isolationism and reducing foreign entanglements.
Their personal lives reflect differing support systems. Harris, married to attorney Doug Emhoff, is stepmother—fondly called “Momala”—to his two children from his first marriage, Ella and Cole. Trump’s family members have also had significant roles in his political endeavors. Although his wife, former First Lady Melania Trump, has appeared less frequently in the 2024 campaign, Trump remains supported by his children: Donald Jr., Ivanka, Eric, and Tiffany.
This election cycle has seen Harris take the Democratic nomination as she replaced Joe Biden after he stepped aside. She has broken new ground, becoming the first Black and Asian-American woman to lead a major U.S. political party’s ticket. Her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago was historic, a pivotal moment in the nation’s political landscape. Trump, meanwhile, secured a rare third nomination from the Republican Party, addressing his supporters in Milwaukee with a bandaged ear following an assassination attempt—the first of two during his campaign.
These glimpses into their lives reveal not only where they’ve come from but also the moments and values that continue to shape their impact on America.
