With just over two months to go before the US election for president, Republicans and Democrats have officially chosen their candidates. The contest between Ex-President Donald Trump and current Vice President Kamala Harris is a different race than many people expected, and is likely to be very close.
(Sources: Harris: Lawrence Jackson [Public Domain], Trump: Gage Skidmore [CC BY-SA 2.0]. Via Wikimedia Commons)
Most people thought this year’s race for US president would be a contest between current President Joe Biden, who’s 81, and Mr. Trump, who’s 78.
That changed after a debate between the two men in June. During the debate, Mr. Trump seemed strong and forceful, even though he avoided many questions and repeated several lies. But Mr. Biden’s poor performance in the debate took people by surprise. He seemed tired and confused. Mr. Biden later explained that he was feeling sick.
But soon many people were saying Mr. Biden was too old to be president. Important Democrats encouraged Mr. Biden to step down. They were afraid he couldn’t beat Mr. Trump. Polls suggested that Mr. Trump was more popular with voters than Mr. Biden.
(Source: Screenshot, C-Span.)
At first, Mr. Biden insisted that he would remain in the race. But on July 21, he announced he was no longer running for president. Instead, he encouraged Democrats to choose Vice President Kamala Harris, who’s 59, as their candidate for president.
At that point, Republicans had already had their convention – a big meeting where the party officially chooses its candidates for president and vice president. Mr. Trump chose Ohio Senator JD Vance as his running mate. In 2016, Mr. Vance sharply criticized Mr. Trump, but since then he has become a strong supporter.
😕
This image has not been loaded because of your cookie choices. To view the content, you can accept 'Non-necessary' cookies.
In July, Republicans held their convention – a big meeting where the party officially chooses its candidates for president and vice president. Mr. Trump chose Ohio Senator JD Vance as his running mate. Above, Mr. Trump (right) and Mr. Vance (left) at the 2024 Republican National Convention.
The Democrats hadn’t had their convention yet. Though Mr. Biden had endorsed Ms. Harris, it was still possible for other Democratic politicians to become their party’s candidate. But Ms. Harris worked quickly, earning the support of many important Democrats. It soon became clear that she would be the Democratic candidate.
The Democratic campaign suddenly seemed to have new energy. In just 24 hours Ms. Harris’s campaign for president earned $81 million in donations.
Last week, the Democrats held their convention. Ms. Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, were officially chosen as the party’s candidates for president and vice president.
😕
This image has not been loaded because of your cookie choices. To view the content, you can accept 'Non-necessary' cookies.
Last week, the Democrats held their convention. Ms. Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, were officially chosen as the party’s candidates for president and vice president. Above, Ms. Harris and Mr. Walz at the Democratic National Convention.
Mr. Trump says that if he’s elected, he’ll use the government to get back at people who have opposed him. He and Mr. Vance say there are too many people coming into the US illegally. They claim these people are dangerous and are taking jobs from Americans. They also want to make life easier for oil companies and other big businesses.
Ms. Harris and Mr. Walz say Mr. Trump is trying to destroy America’s system of government to help himself. They say the election is about “freedom” for America’s people, no matter what their race, their lifestyle, or what they believe.
The election is on November 5 – a little over two months away. Current polls show Ms. Harris slightly ahead of Mr. Trump, but most people believe the race will be very close. And, as the last two months have shown, a lot can change in two months.