The key moments of an extraordinary American presidential election

A look back at the key moments of an extraordinary presidential campaign, marked by multiple twists and turns:

When the race for the White House kicked off in January, outgoing President Joe Biden faced no serious rival in the Democratic Party primaries and won easily, despite a protest movement linked to his support to Israel’s war in Gaza.

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.

In April, the first criminal trial of a former American president opened in New York.

After weeks of high-profile hearings, Donald Trump was found guilty of making hidden payments to former pornographic film star Stormy Daniels 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 procedures. Democrats call him “reconvicted.”

The Supreme Court, with a conservative majority, weakened the criminal proceedings against him in the summer. Those in Florida were even canceled and the judge in his New York trial postponed the pronouncement of his sentence until after the presidential election.

On June 27, the campaign changed.

The debate between Trump and Biden is a trainwreck for the 81-year-old president who stumbles over his words and seems lost at times.

A wind of panic is blowing across the Democratic camp. The first calls for the withdrawal of Joe Biden are being heard, and will increase in intensity.

Faced with his rival’s troubles, Donald Trump opts, to everyone’s surprise, for restraint.

On July 13, Donald Trump emerged with a bloody ear from a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. He has just survived a supposed assassination attempt.

Depicted as a miracle and more than ever adored by his base, Trump, with a bandage on his right ear, was consecrated shortly after at the Republican convention in Milwaukee. He chose a young senator, JD Vance, as his running mate.

One month before the election, and a few weeks after being targeted by another assassination attempt in Florida, the Republican billionaire returns to Butler for a major meeting with Elon Musk, wealthy boss of Tesla and SpaceX, fully committed to his campaign.

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 abilities and faced with the realization that he may not be able to win, the outgoing president gives in to pressure

In the process, he supports his vice-president Kamala Harris.

In record time, 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 ancestry, much younger than Trump and Biden, is reshuffling the campaign cards. The Republican camp seems disoriented.

With her running mate Tim Walz, a former teacher turned governor, the ex-prosecutor was crowned by her party in August in Chicago during a euphoric convention.

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 international reputation.

The billionaire, with a closed face, deploys his usual attacks, particularly on immigration, and accuses his rival of being “Marxist”.

Although the debate was viewed by more than 67 million viewers, its impact on the campaign does not seem decisive. Polls continue to predict an extremely close vote until the end.