Politics in 2024 was marked by unprecedented events. Fox News Digital looks back on the biggest political news stories that shook Washington, D.C.
The year began with President Biden in the driver’s seat of the Democratic Party, but his mental acuity came under scrutiny after years of conservatives questioning his mental fitness. In February, special counsel Robert Hur announced he would not recommend criminal charges against Biden for possessing classified materials after his vice presidency, calling him “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
The report renewed scrutiny over Biden’s mental acuity, which reached a fever pitch in June after the president’s first and only presidential debate against Trump. Biden faced backlash for a handful of gaffes and miscues, including former President Obama taking Biden’s wrist and appearing to lead him off a stage during a fundraiser.
When the debate day arrived, Biden missed his marks repeatedly, tripping over his responses and appearing to lose his train of thought. The disastrous debate performance led to an outpouring of both conservatives and traditional Democrat allies calling on the president to bow out of the race in favor of a younger generation.
Biden eventually dropped out of the race in July, endorsing Vice President Harris to pick up the mantle. Harris launched her truncated campaign, flanked by staffers from the Obama administration and campaigns, and a handful of holdovers from Biden’s campaign.
Meanwhile, Trump faced two assassination attempts in July and September. On July 13, Trump was shot at during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where one man lost his life while protecting his family from the attack. Trump was seen dropping to the ground during the rally before he quickly stood up, a bloodied ear apparent, while surrounded by Secret Service agents.
The would-be assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was shot and killed by a Secret Service sniper. Trump took the stage at the Republican National Convention days later, appearing with a patch over his injured right ear.
In September, Trump faced another assassination attempt while golfing at his Trump International Golf Club in Florida. Trump was safely escorted from the green after suspect Ryan Routh allegedly pointed a rifle toward the 45th president just outside the perimeter of the club.
Trump spent much of the year battling criminal charges and legal cases, including sitting trial for weeks in the New York v. Trump case. He was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in May, but maintained his innocence and called it a “sham” and “witch hunt.”
Trump plowed ahead with his election effort despite the guilty verdict, completing a massive political comeback when he defeated Harris at the polls. Trump took the stage to accept victory after Fox News projected he would win Pennsylvania, which carries 19 electoral votes, as well as Wisconsin, Georgia, and North Carolina.
During the year, anti-Israel protests erupted on college campuses, with agitators and student protesters flooding campuses nationwide to protest the war in Israel. Terrorist organization Hamas launched a war in Israel on October 7, 2023, which initially fanned the flames of antisemitism on campuses.
The protests heightened to the point Jewish students at some schools, including Columbia, were warned to leave campus for their own safety. College administrators from top schools such as UCLA, Rutgers, and Northwestern were grilled by lawmakers over their handling of antisemitism on campus, while Trump warned school leaders if they allow antisemitism to run rampant, they could lose accreditation.
