From the assassination attempt on Trump to the failure of the Biden debate: 5 main moments of the 2024 US presidential election

Voters across the United States will vote for the next president on November 5, 2024.

The race is between Donald Trump, the embattled former president seeking a return to power, and Kamala Harris, who is seeking to break down barriers and become the first woman to hold the nation’s highest office.

Here we look at some key moments from the US presidential election campaign:

Trump, convicted criminal

On May 30, Donald Trump became the first former American president to be convicted of felonies after a New York jury found him guilty of all 34 counts in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election by paying hush money to porn actress Stormy Daniel. , who shared excruciating details of their alleged sexual encounter.

Charges against Trump are punishable by up to four years in prison. For his part, he denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty. He also stated that it was an attempt to stop him.

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“It was a shame,” he shouted outside the court that day. “This was a rigged trial conducted by a conflicted judge who was corrupt.”

Joe Biden Debate Night

In a major moment that dashed the hopes of many Democrats, US President Joe Biden, the party’s presumptive nominee, staged a disastrous debate against Donald Trump on June 27.

The 81-year-old was seen as clumsy and often forgot what he was saying, raising fears that he was unfit to run for president again.

Biden brushed off the debate and criticism, then said it was just a “bad night.” However, questions about Biden’s fitness and his chances of defeating Trump have become much more serious.

Attempt on Trump’s life

On July 13, one of the most shocking moments in US presidential history occurred after a lone gunman opened fire on Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

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As Trump gave his speech, a pop was heard, after which Trump touched his ear and realized there was blood on it. Within seconds, he fell onto the stage and was surrounded by Secret Service agents.

He was helped to his feet and escorted from the stage, even as he raised his fist and shouted “fight, fight, fight” – one of the most iconic images in US political history.

The shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot and killed by Secret Service officers. Trump, who survived with a minor abrasion to his right ear, later said: “I took a bullet for democracy.”

Joe Biden leaves, Kamala Harris takes over

Almost a month after a disastrous debate with Donald Trump and serious concerns about his ability to defeat the Republican nominee, US President Joe Biden announced on July 21 that he was withdrawing from the presidential election campaign.

In a post on X, he said he would remain as president until his term expires in January 2025.

In another post, he endorsed Kamala Harris, the first black Asian American woman to serve as US vice president, as the Democratic candidate. Within two weeks, Harris officially clinched the Democratic nomination, making her the first woman of color to lead a major party ticket.

Another possible assassination attempt on Trump

The potential shooting was foiled after Trump’s Secret Service security detail spotted a man’s partially hidden face and the barrel of a rifle sticking out near the fence of a Florida golf course where Donald Trump was scheduled to play.

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The agent opened fire in the direction of a man identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, who ran away and was stopped by law enforcement officers in a neighboring county. Routh was reportedly loaded with 10 rounds of ammunition in the magazine and is believed to have been at the scene for more than 12 hours.

Prosecutors said he wrote of his plans to kill Trump in a handwritten note months before his Sept. 15 arrest, in which he called his actions a failed “assassination attempt on Donald Trump” and offered $150,000 to anyone who could “see the job through.” ” Job”.