From joy to defeat: Kamala Harris' campaign in 10 events

Many of her supporters and others around the world saw Kamala Harris' campaign as having the potential to save American democracy from an existential threat and a sign that U.S. politics could return to a more normal state.

With a victory for Donald Trump on Wednesday morning, that potential disappeared.

After Joe Biden's shocking exit following his disastrous debate performance raised questions about his mental capacity, Harris and her team ran a campaign that was incredibly short by American standards. Despite being endorsed by stars like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, raising more than a billion dollars in donations and crisscrossing the country in tireless rallies, Harris' bid to win the White House ended in defeat.

Here are some key moments, themes and events from the campaign:

1. The surprise endorsement of Biden that started it all

When Joe Biden announced he would withdraw from the race for the White House, it came amid enormous and growing pressure from a Democratic establishment panicked by his disastrous performance in the first presidential debate. For weeks it had felt that his decision to end his re-election bid was inevitable. What was less certain was whether Democrats would hold some kind of mini-primary to select a new candidate. Biden's almost immediate decision to support Harris quickly ended that debate and the party quickly fell in line.
2. Kamala is a brat

One of the surprising early themes of Harris' campaign was sparked by British pop singer Charli . As Charli explained on TikTok, Brat is “just like that girl who's a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some stupid things sometimes and feels herself but then maybe has a meltdown but that makes her kind of party.” “. It was fun while it lasted. But at the end of the brutal campaign – as election day approached – the brat's joy largely disappeared from view.
3. A democratic congress of “joy”

At a Democratic National Convention once intended for Joe Biden and now portrayed as a coronation for Kamala Harris, the only sentiment that gripped the room seemed to be something not typically associated with America's political landscape in 2024 : Joy. The mood of excitement for a fresh face in a race previously dominated by two older white men who had previously voted in an election was palpable. The event went smoothly, cementing Harris' rising power in the polls while she erased Biden's losses and began making headway.
4. An overwhelming debate performance defeated Trump

If Donald Trump was expecting something similar to his experience with Joe Biden when he showed up to the Harris debate, he was soon brought back down to earth. Harris, an experienced prosecutor, quickly gained confidence and stature during the debate. She was poised and combative, alert and in control and, crucially, she knew how to make Trump lose his temper. Which he did. Despite protests from his supporters, Harris emerged comfortably victorious – so much so that Trump rejected a rematch.
5. Keep your distance from Joe Biden

Joe Biden chose her as vice president, endorsed her as his successor and, by many accounts, presided over a momentous presidency with a remarkable economic recovery from the wreckage of the pandemic. However, Harris and her campaign have kept a clear distance from the current occupant of the White House. Harris always had great respect for Biden and was hesitant to criticize him, but his campaign events were rare. One incident made it clear why. After a row over racist remarks about Puerto Ricans at a Trump rally in New York City, Biden seemingly insulted the very people Harris was trying to win over when he claimed, “The only trash I see floating out there is his ( Trump). ) Supporters”. Although he quickly clarified his comment, it gave Republicans a talking point at a moment of weakness for them and also appeared to demonstrate the wisdom of the Harris campaign's attempts to politely distance Biden from their election efforts.
6. The roller pick rose and then crashed

Harris picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz early in her campaign, sparking a wave of excitement, particularly among the progressive left. The brilliant former high school football coach, with his Midwestern charm, candor and gift for insults, had become known as a highly successful surrogate for Harris. That cast a spell on the campaign early on, especially since Walz liked to describe his Republican opponents as simply “weird.” But as the Harris campaign dragged on and adopted more planned and traditional strategies, Walz became less visible. When he debated his opponent, JD Vance, a less combative Walz was widely seen as defeated by the MAGA favorite.
7. Harris courted Republicans aggressively

As the Harris campaign grew and spread across the country and became more traditional over time, it pursued a strong strategy to woo Republican voters who it believed would not want to vote for Trump. Key to this was campaigning with former Wyoming congresswoman Liz Cheney, who had taken a strong anti-Trump stance, particularly in relation to her work on the congressional committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. It was a classic Democratic strategy aimed at triangulating the center and soft Republicans rather than energizing the base, and stood in contrast to the more freewheeling style of the campaign in the early weeks.
8. The gender gap became clear as Harris courted women

Harris campaigned on the idea that the loss of federal abortion rights when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade would be a powerful motivator for women of all backgrounds. This was particularly true in states where abortion was back on the ballot in 2024, as various states made efforts to protect rights. In the final days of the campaign, there were numerous signs that women, particularly white women, were turning out in large numbers and favoring Harris by impressive margins. The Harris campaign even launched ads that directly reminded women that the ballot box was a private space and that they could hide their vote from their husbands.
9. A pivotal speech in Washington focuses on threats to democracy

The highlight of Harris' campaign was a speech at the Ellipse in Washington DC – the same place from which Trump launched the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Harris used the event to highlight the main theme of her campaign: Trump is a threat to US democracy and voting for him means inviting someone with autocratic sympathies back to the White House. More than 75,000 spectators flocked to hear her dire warning about the threat facing the United States.
10. One last appearance on Saturday Night Live

Harris took a last-minute break from the campaign to rekindle her reputation as a “joyful warrior” with a surprise appearance on the late-night sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. Harris played herself and appeared in the mirror opposite actress Maya Rudolph, who did her best Harris impression. The two wore identical black suits and pearls and exchanged comical variations on Harris' first name. Rudolph took Harris' hand and gave her a pep talk. “Now Kamala, take my palm ala. The American people want to stop the chaos…” Harris responded, “And stop the drama.”

From joy to defeat: Kamala Harris' campaign in 10 events | US elections 2024

1. The surprise endorsement of Biden that started it all

2. Kamala is a brat

3. A democratic congress of “joy”

4. An overwhelming debate performance defeated Trump

5. Keep your distance from Joe Biden

6. The roller pick rose and then crashed

7. Harris courted Republicans aggressively

8. The gender gap became clear as Harris courted women

9. A pivotal speech in Washington focuses on threats to democracy

10. One last appearance on Saturday Night Live

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