How we got here: The biggest moments of the 2024 US Election campaign

Since the Republican debates in August 2023, there have been multiple assassination attempts, a President pulling out the race and still deadlocked polling. These are the most memorable moments of US Election 2024 so far.

Cast your mind back to 23rd August 2023. On a debate stage in Milwaukee, eight contenders for the Republican presidential nomination traded blows as they tried to boost their nascent campaigns.

Among them, former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley.

The one man notable for his absence: Donald Trump.

Donald Trump did not take part in the Republican debates, but easily won the nomination for the third time Credit: AP

That night, the US election campaign got underway. 14 months on and we have seen a federal trial, a President dropping out at the last second, two assassination attempts and moments of absurdity throughout.

These are the some of the most memorable parts of the US election:

Biden drops out

This election was, until 21st July, a repeat of 2020 with Donald Trump facing Joe Biden.

But from the start of the campaign, questions about the President's cognitive abilities plagued his re-election drive.

Biden dropped out of the election in July, backing his VP Kamala Harris Credit: AP

And the election itself drastically changed when he decided, somewhat unwillingly, that he had to quit.

In a post on X, he announced he was putting his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris and a new contest began.

Debates

Biden's weak performance in his debate with Trump was the final straw for his election campaign Credit: AP

It was the first debate that ultimately did for Joe Biden's campaign. In June he went head-to-head with Trump live on CNN.

The President performed poorly, seeming to lose his train of thought at various points.

After one particularly rambling answer, Donald Trump sealed Biden's fate saying "I really don't know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don't think he knows what he said either."

Trump and Harris shook hands before going head-to-head in September Credit: AP

The second debate of the election, after Kamala Harris had taken over as candidate, had a different feel to it.

The Vice President goaded Trump into focusing on the size of his crowds, rather than on policy.

At one point the former President claimed, without any evidence, that Haitian immigrants were eating cats and dogs in a small Ohio city.

Kamala Harris was seen to have won the debate but it did little to change opinion polling.

Assassination attempts

On 13 July, Donald Trump was speaking at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

At 11 minutes past six in the afternoon, a man fired eight shots from a roof of a nearby complex. One struck the former president, others hit people at the rally, one of whom died.

Donald Trump faced two attempted assassinations in the election campaign Credit: AP

Trump had dropped to the ground behind his lectern but, in a defining image, emerged again after the shooting with his fist raised in the air.

The would be assassin was shot dead.

Just months later, on 15 September, a second man allegedly targeted the Republican nominee.

This time it was at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida.

No shots were fired at Trump.

Conventions

The political theatre of the election was on full display at the Republican National convention in Milwaukee.

Coming just days after the first assassination attempt, Trump took to the stage in front of flashing lights spelling out his name.

Trump appeared days after the attempt with a bandage on his ear - other delegates copied the former President as a sign of devotion

He wore a bandage on his ear and some delegates took to doing the same as a sign of their devotion.

Wrestler Hulk Hogan ripped off his vest during his speech, proclaiming "let TrumpMania run wild".

The Democratic convention meanwhile was held in Chicago in August.

Barack Obama raised some eyebrows with his pointed hand gestures when he made a joke about Trump's crowd sizes.

Rapper Lil Jon made a surprise appearance during the counting of votes.

And Kamala Harris accepted the nomination calling Trump an "unserious man".

The weirder moments

But as always, there have been endless odd moments throughout the campaign.

Right back at the first Republican debate, Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie criticised Trump for not debating the other candidates.

With what he thought was a brutal blow, he said "we're gonna call you Donald Duck". Safe to say it didn't quite land.

Then there was the debate between Biden and Trump where the two men started talking about their golf handicap. The childish bickering over who was better left some feeling uninspired by the race.

When Harris became the candidate, the meme of the summer hit the campaign trail. Charli XCX tweeted "kamala IS brat", referencing her album 'brat' and the trend 'brat summer', which had taken over many social media feeds.

The Harris campaign capitalised on this appeal to Gen Z voters, rebranding their X page to 'kamala hq' and adding the luminous green and font from the album cover to their top image.

In the final weeks of the campaign, surprised customers at McDonald's found Donald Trump serving their fast food.

The fast food aficionado donned a chef's uniform and was taught how to cook fries. He told reporters "I like this job".

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