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30 Days in 2024
The last 30 days have been a whirlwind of political activities that have serious implications for the 2024 Presidential campaign.
June 24
President Biden and former President Trump met for an unprecedented, early debate. Technically, both were presumptive nominees of their parties, as neither the Republican or Democratic Convention had been held to formally nominate them. The Biden-Harris campaign fully negotiated the terms of the debate: no audience, auto microphone turn off for the person not speaking, and two commercial breaks. The debate was an unmitigated disaster for President Biden. Immediately following the debate, concerns related to Biden’s age and mental fitness started to swirl.
June 25-July 13
President Biden faced a slow burn of criticism and concern following the debate, he attempted to stem the bleed by an aggressive number of public events, including a 60 minute press conference following the NATO meeting in Washington, DC on July 11. Calls for President Biden to step aside and not accept the Democratic nomination started to build with Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) calling for President Biden to step aside on July 2. A steady stream of Democrats followed suit.
July 13
At a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, former President Trump survived an assassination attempt. A 20-year-old man fired eight rounds with an AR-15–style rifle from the roof of a building located approximately 400 feet (120 meters) from the stage. The shooter killed audience member Corey Comperatore and critically injured two other audience members. The shooter was subsequently killed by the United States Secret Service’s Counter Sniper Team.
July 15-18
Days after surviving an assassination attempt, former President Trump formally accepted the nomination to serve as the Republican candidate for a third time. He also announced that he had selected Senator JD Vance (R-OH) as his running mate.
July 16-17
In Las Vegas to speak at the annual NAACP conference and UNIDOS, President Biden announces he has contracted COVID and will isolate at his family home in Rehoboth, DE.
It is reported that senior leaders of the Democratic party, including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, are strongly suggesting that President Biden withdraw from the race, citing polling that shows him trailing former President Trump in every swing state.
July 21
On Sunday, July 21, President Biden became only the 2nd sitting President to announce that he will not seek a second term. In making the announcement, he cited his desire to unite the country and the Democratic party in focusing their energies and attention to defeating the Republican ticket. Within minutes of announcing his decision, President Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for President, all but attempting to limit any further distractions for the Democratic party.
July 23
Vice President Kamala Harris announces she has secured enough Democratic delegates to serve as the party’s nominee. Delegates will have to affirm their support for Vice President Kamala Harris during the DNC Convention in Chicago, August 19-22.
An unprecedented election cycle: a former President running as his party’s nominee, a sitting president declining (after immense pressure) to accept his party’s nomination, making way for the first woman of color to be a major party’s nominee.
Meet The Author:
As Vice President for Government Relations and Public Affairs, I work to explain how actions on Capitol Hill can impact the self-employed. I love D.C. and have made my home in Capitol Hill, where I live with my husband and black Labrador, Coltrane. We love playing volleyball and softball on the National Mall.
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