On the Republican side, former American ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley provides a semblance of competition against Donald Trump but the success of the former president is overwhelming.
Officialized in March, this new Trump-Biden duel seems like déjà vu and is struggling to enthuse the Americans.
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2
Donald Trump criminally convicted
In April, the first criminal trial of a former American president opened in New York.
After weeks of high-profile hearings, Donald Trump is found guilty of hidden payments to a former pornographic film star during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Neither this historic verdict nor his three other criminal charges undermine his popularity. On the contrary, his supporters denounce political persecution. The Democrats call him a “reconvict”.
The Supreme Court, with a conservative majority, weakened the criminal proceedings against him in the summer. Those in Florida were even canceled and the pronouncement of his sentence in New York was postponed until after the election.
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Donald Trump criminally convicted, an earthquake with incalculable political consequences
3
The debate that changes everything
On June 27, the campaign changed.
The debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden is a disaster for the 81-year-old president who stumbles over his words and seems, at times, lost.
A wind of panic is blowing across the Democratic camp, with the first calls for Joe Biden to withdraw.
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4
« Fight, fight, fight »
Gunshots, blood, a raised fist and a defiant cry of “fight, fight, fight”: images for the story.
On July 13, Donald Trump left a campaign rally in Pennsylvania with a bloody ear. He has just survived an assassination attempt.
As if miraculously put on a bandage on his right ear, he was consecrated shortly after at the Republican convention.
In September, the billionaire was again targeted by an assassination attempt on his golf course in Florida.
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5
Biden throws in the towel
The summer was marked by another twist: on July 21, Joe Biden announced the withdrawal of his candidacy.
After weeks of speculation about his physical and mental capacities, the outgoing president gave in to pressure from Democrats who feared defeat.
In the process, he supports his vice-president Kamala Harris.
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6
Harris raises the bar
In record time, Kamala Harris gathered the support of Democratic pundits and established herself as the party’s new candidate, raising a wave of enthusiasm.
The entry into the race of this black woman of Jamaican and Indian origin is reshuffling the campaign cards. The Republican camp seems disoriented.
The former prosecutor was crowned by her party in August during a euphoric convention.
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Acrimonious face-to-face
On September 10, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris face off in their only debate. The Republican will refuse another face-to-face meeting.
By all accounts, the Democrat is gaining the upper hand, attacking her rival on the subjects most likely to hurt her ego: the attendance at her meetings or her reputation abroad.
The billionaire, with a closed face, deploys his usual attacks, particularly on immigration, and accuses his rival of being “Marxist”.
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8
Home straight
As D-Day approaches, the two candidates, who are completely opposed and the polls are unable to decide between them, are working hard to convince undecided voters.
Donald Trump holds a major rally at the end of October at the legendary Madison Square Garden in New York, the city where he was born. He accuses his rival of having “destroyed the country” and poses as a savior in front of 20,000 people, during a meeting during which his lieutenants pour out sexist and racist rhetoric for hours.