by Kevin Kennedy

UWS newsroom looks at key events of the 2024 US Presidential Election from the announcement of former President Donald Trumps decision to stand again as leader of the free world, to Kamal Harris stepping into the Democratic leadership role, in an election that is said to be the closest in history.

Two years ago was a memorable day for the Republican Party as their most charismatic candidate announced himself as a Republican runner and in July 2024 the Republican Party endorsed him as their candidate.

Donald John Trump threw his hat in to the political arena, aiming to be the 22nd President to be elected for more than one term. Controversy has never been far from this candidate, and it is one that divides a nation.

His last term as President ended on January 6th 2020, with riots in Washington that spilled into the capitol building after he gave a speech claiming that the election was rigged and votes had been tampered with. He was them impeached for inciting the masses to riot.

An assassination attempt was made in July 2024 with the suspect being shot by secret service agents, making this one of the most iconic pictures in American Political History, creating a spike in support for Trump. A further attempt was foiled with Trump accusing Biden and Harris of provoking violence through their “highly inflammatory language”.

Kamala Harris was thrown into the spotlight in July 2024 after President Joe Biden withdrew from the race due to ill health. As Kamala Harris was Vice President at the time, she stepped into the race, ready to face off against former President Trump.

After serving as Attorney General and Senator for California, Harris became the first mixed race female to be Vice President, becoming presidential candidate on August 5, giving her only 100 days to put together a Presidential campaign.

One major positive for Harris is Former President Barack Obama endorsement, while Trump has the support of more celebrity than political supporters.

September 2024 witnessed the first Presidential Debate on ABC where both candidates clashed over immigration, abortion and economic policy, the main concerns facing the people of the US, on what was a vital day for the election race.

The country is divided on this election campaign with Swing States holding the keys to the White House. but in a state like Massachusetts the Republicans have the lead.

A resident of the state, Phil Riley, said: ” The best candidate to run the country by far is Donald Trump, he has a proven track record in his previous presidency. under him the country flourished, out taxes were less, normal everyday costs were lower and interest rates were at an all time low. “

As we went to press there were a number of hours left in voting with the first results expected to be heard by 2pm UK time.