Fifteen moments that defined the election

It has been called the most critical election in US history, and it has certainly been one of the wildest races, with an incumbent president stepping down late in the campaign, a criminal guilty verdict for one of the candidates and a couple of assassination attempts.

- By Lorenzo Tondo and Chris Michael

1 The challenger

March The hard-right Florida governor Ron DeSantis was widely seen as the Republican most likely to prevent the former president Donald Trump from becoming the party's nominee for a third consecutive election. However, in January, despite being backed by tycoon Rupert Murdoch, DeSantis ends his flailing campaign and eventually endorses Trump, whose team had smeared him as "Pudding Fingers" due to his alleged eating habits. Running almost as an incumbent, Trump's last serious challenger ends up being the former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, who unexpectedly takes on the mantle of the anti-Trump vote. Casting doubts on Trump's mental fitness and his loyalty to the US constitution, the former UN ambassador garners significant support and perseveres until Super Tuesday in March, when she finally stands aside, leaving Trump as the last major candidate standing for the 2024 Republican nomination.

2 The president

March In the annals of American politics, incumbent presidents seeking re-election typically enjoy a significant edge over their challengers. However, Joe Biden-the nation's oldest ever president-bucks the trend as his meandering remarks, frequent blunders and halting speech raise concerns that he might just be too old. Nevertheless, essentially unopposed, the 46th president of the United States runs the board in the Democratic primaries and is named the party's candidate for 2024, while vowing that, despite his advancing years, he is the best contender to defeat Trump.

3 The trial