The U.S. presidential race has taken dramatic turns this summer through high-stakes debates, violent-driven actions and unexpected changes in candidacies.
On June 27, 2024, President Joe Biden debated former President Donald Trump in the first Presidential Debate. The debate primarily focused on critical issues about healthcare, immigration and the economy. After Biden’s performance in the debate, growing concerns about his mental capabilities emerged, especially after Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), publicly urged Biden to withdraw from the race as he doubted his ability to serve another term.
“The president has been running behind,” Doggett said. “We needed a surge, we got a setback,”
Despite mounting pressure on Biden from many politicians and members of the media who were urging Biden to step down, he remained the Democratic nominee for the next few weeks.
On July 14, 2024, an assassination attempt was committed against Trump at his rally in Pennsylvania. This resulted in the death of one attendee and two injured people. The offender was Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old, whose shot hit Trump’s ear. In the aftermath of the rally at the Republican National Convention, which took place in Milwaukee, WI from July 15-18, Trump announced his VP candidate, JD Vance, who currently serves as the Ohio Senator. If Trump and Vance are elected into office in November, a replacement senator will be appointed for Ohio because Vance has only served two years into his term.
Notably, there was a turn of events when Biden stepped down from office. He announced his departure from the race on July 21, 2024, and Vice President Kamala Harris stepped up in his place. Biden immediately endorsed Harris for President, and she quickly received support from many other Democratic politicians as she set out on her campaign. Despite the short amount of time left for campaigning between Biden’s departure and the election, Harris has gained much support and successfully closed the gap between herself and Trump in the polls. With the polls being so tight, the upcoming election will be closely contested.
