Trump returns as turbulent year ends

In the United States, 2024 was a year that rewrote the political playbook, culminating in the return of Donald Trump to the White House.

The former president and now president-elect survived two assassination attempts and defeated Vice-President Kamala Harris to win a rare nonconsecutive term.

On Monday, Congress formally certified Trump's election victory during a session presided over by Harris.

The quadrennial ritual, clearing the way for Trump's inauguration in two weeks, went like clockwork and stood in sharp contrast to four years ago when a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in a failed bid to block the certification of then-president Trump's 2020 loss to Democratic President Joe Biden.

Trump's victory appeared to signal a shift in the US electorate, as he won all seven battleground states — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — while increasing his support among African American, Asian and Hispanic voters. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party, traditionally supported by US workers, faced a notable decline in backing from that constituency.

The Democrats, led by Harris, who secured her party's nomination on Aug 5 after Biden bowed out of the race in July, chose to run a campaign centered on abortion rights and personal attacks on the 78-year-old Trump.

However, polls consistently showed inflation and border security were top concerns for many citizens.

Trump capitalized on these concerns, promising aggressive action on immigration. He and his pick for border czar, Tom Homan, have vowed mass deportations upon taking office on Jan 20. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security had removed or returned more than 240,000 people to more than 160 countries between June and November — a stark preview of what is to come.

Harris, 60, led an amorphous "joy "campaign and limited her one-on-one interviews. The controversial selection of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate — over Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who represented a pivotal swing state — further weakened her bid.

During the campaign, Trump continued with his frequent rallies but also appeared on podcasts, such as Joe Rogan's, which is widely followed. Rogan invited Harris to a podcast interview but the two sides never reached an agreement on an appearance.

The year's political turbulence was not limited to the campaign trail.

At a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt when a bullet grazed his ear. The would-be assassin, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by a law enforcement sniper.

How Crooks managed to access a rooftop not far from where Trump was speaking raised questions about the Secret Service detail.

In the wake of the attack, Kimberly Cheatle, director of the Secret Service, resigned on July 23, a day after she faced intense bipartisan questioning from Congress.