The 2024 presidential election is now less than five calendar months from occurring. The general election is likely to be a closely contested contest between the former 45th President Donald Trump and the current incumbent, the long serving politician Joe Biden. This would be a rematch of the 2020 election in which Biden closely defeated Trump. The political climate within the country is volatile and uncertain, and many Americans are extremely worried about civil unrest. Since Trump first became president in 2016, the country has become increasingly polarized and mainstream media outlets on both sides of the political aisle have done little to unite the nation and quell tensions, often exacerbating them by promoting alternate agendas and providing “sensational and biased” reporting that is meant to motivate particular bases and increase ratings and viewership. The election is likely to be a “toss up” barring any significant changes; polls forecast a close race decided by swing states (Trump currently leads in several key states by small margins).
The former president Donald Trump was recently convicted on 34 counts of faking many business documents in the highest degree, a crime in the state of New York. These charges were related to a $130,000 “hush money” affair with the adult film actress Stormy Daniels which occurred many years prior and even happened before he was elected president. Trump and his legal team will likely appeal the ruling, and the process is likely to be long and drawn out.
Trump is vulnerable, and even Republicans know it. In a recent report by the Canadian firm Leger, 1 out of ever 3 Republicans responded that they believe Trump was the wrong candidate for the party in this upcoming presidential election. This is unsurprising, as Trump is a truly polarizing figure who possesses very little ability to win over key moderate and center-left leaning voters that will be crucial in deciding the ultimate results in November.
