The 2024 Presidential election cycle featured numerous noteworthy events during the summer, all of which have influenced the Tuesday, Nov. 5 general election. 

The two most important events of the summer were former President Donald Trump’s attempted assassination and President Joe Biden dropping out the race.

On Saturday, July 13, Trump survived an attempted assassination while speaking at an election rally near Butler, Pennsylvania. He was grazed by a bullet in his upper right ear while two others were injured and one audience member was killed by shooter Thomas Matthew Crook. 

Images of Trump holding up his fist by the Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci have since gone viral online. Crook’s motive behind the assassination attempt is currently under investigation. 

Eight days later, on Sunday, July 21, Biden announced he was dropping out the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination. 

“While it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for my term,” Biden said.

The debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, which took place on Thursday, June 27 in Atlanta, Georgia, preceded both events, and it left many Americans with several concerns, notably Biden’s mental fitness.  

Nearly two-thirds of Democrats voiced concern over Biden’s verbal blunders and the raspiness of his voice during the debate. Concerns over Biden’s mental and physical condition have been a point of controversy during his presidency on many sides of the political spectrum; a poll released in February showed only 3 in 10 Democrats were confident in Biden’s ability to perform as president.

Another point of criticism for both nominees was the number of false claims made on each side. Fact-checkers compiled a list detailing the number of claims made during the debate, and they found both candidates made numerous inaccurate statements about their talking points.

Following the debate, ABC released a national survey detailing the opinions of 2,200 adults, and among those registered to vote, 46% said they would vote for Biden and 45% said they would vote for Trump. 

Biden’s debate performance further fueled a push from Democrats to get Biden to drop out the election. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi helped to pressure Biden to suspend his campaign. Other Democratic officials publicly called for Biden to drop out, and he quickly lost support from important leaders in the party such as former President Barack Obama. 

As of now, Harris has garnered a large amount of support and has secured enough delegates to secure the Democratic nomination. In a poll conducted by The Wall Street Journal, Harris gained 48% to Trump’s 47% in a ballot involving only the two candidates and led by two points – 47% to 45% – on a ballot included independent and third-party candidates. 

Each candidate has chosen their vice presidential pick, with Harris picking Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Trump picking Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance. The second presidential debate between Harris and Trump is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sep. 10. Viewers can watch the debate live on NBC News.