Presidential Election 2024

The 2024 United States presidential election, held on November 5, 2024, resulted in Republican Donald Trump defeating Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in a historic comeback. Trump secured 312 electoral votes to Harris's 226 and won the popular vote with 77.3 million votes (49.8%) to Harris's 75 million (48.3%). This victory made Trump the first president since Grover Cleveland to win non-consecutive terms, the first convicted felon to become president, and the oldest person elected to the office at age 78.The election unfolded against a backdrop of unprecedented legal challenges for Trump, who faced four criminal indictments totaling 86 felony counts. On May 30, 2024, Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts for falsifying business records related to hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels, making him the first former president convicted of a crime. His sentencing was repeatedly delayed, ultimately resulting in an "unconditional discharge" in January 2025 that formalized his status as a convicted felon without imprisonment, probation, or fines.A pivotal moment came during the June 27, 2024 CNN-hosted debate when President Biden's poor performance, marked by stumbling responses and apparent confusion, intensified concerns about his age and ability to serve another term. After weeks of mounting pressure from prominent Democrats, Biden withdrew from the race on July 21, 2024, endorsing Vice President Harris as his successor. Harris quickly secured the necessary delegate endorsements, becoming the first Black woman and first Asian American to receive a major party's presidential nomination.Trump's campaign faced dramatic moments, including surviving two assassination attempts. The first assassination attempt was on July 13, 2024, during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Trump was grazed by a bullet when Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire, killing one attendee before being shot by Secret Service. On September 15, 2024, Trump evaded another apparent assassination attempt at his West Palm Beach golf club.The candidates offered starkly contrasting visions. Harris campaigned on "freedom" and "the future," emphasizing her prosecutorial background while positioning herself as a moderate Democrat focused on economic issues like affordable housing and grocery costs. She selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate on August 6, 2024.Trump's campaign, centered on "retribution," featured apocalyptic rhetoric about America's condition. His platform included mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, expanded presidential powers, increased tariffs, and environmental regulation rollbacks. Trump's campaign language about immigrants was particularly inflammatory, calling them "not people" and claiming they were "poisoning the blood of our country." He chose Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his running mate on July 15, 2024.Key issues included abortion rights following the Supreme Court's 2022 Dobbs decision, immigration enforcement, economic concerns (particularly inflation), democracy preservation, and climate change. Despite improving economic indicators under Biden-Harris—including declining inflation (from 9.1% in June 2022 to 2.4% by September 2024) and strong job growth—many voters remained dissatisfied with the economy.Trump swept all seven battleground states (Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin), representing a significant rightward shift across the country. All 50 states and DC moved toward Trump compared to 2020, the first such uniform national swing since 1976. Trump improved his performance among working-class voters, young men, and Hispanic voters, while Harris maintained strong support among Black voters and college-educated white voters.The 2024 election results aligned with a global anti-incumbent wave observed in elections worldwide that year. Trump's victory—despite his criminal conviction, inflammatory rhetoric, and authoritarian tendencies—demonstrated the resilience of his political appeal and positioned him to implement his agenda with Republican support in his second term beginning January 20, 2025.Sources: Wikipedia and Britannica*There may be errors on this page.