(© picture-alliance/ASSOCIATED PRESS / Patrick Semansky)

  US presidential election 2024

  19 Debates

In the final phase of the US presidential election campaign the tone has become increasingly acrimonious. Kamala Harris said she considers Donald Trump to be a fascist. And during a Republican campaign event, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe compared Puerto Rico to a 'floating island of garbage', a comment Trump's campaign team later distanced itself from. Europe's press looks on with consternation.

A new US president will be elected in a week's time. According to the polls, Donald Trump made significant gains in October and is now him neck and neck with his rival Kamala Harris. Europe's press examines why he has been able to catch up and what his return to power would mean.

During a town hall event hosted by CNN on Wednesday, Kamala Harris said she agreed with the assessment that her rival in the race for the US presidency, Donald Trump, is a fascist. Trump's former chief of staff John Kelly had previously told the New York Times that in his opinion Trump "fits the definition of a fascist". Commentators see reasons to criticise Trump's behaviour but urge caution regarding this particular accusation.

According to initial polls most US citizens see Kamala Harris as the winner of the televised debate with Donald Trump. In the meantime, the role of the moderators, who intervened to fact-check Trump's statements on issues such as abortion laws or crimes committed by migrants, is fueling a discussion. Europe's press sees the US election campaign entering a new phase.

The two candidates for the US presidency, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, meet for the first time in a live televised debate tonight (Tuesday). Trump engaged in a first debate in June against incumbent President Joe Biden, before the latter withdrew from the race. Commentators focus on how Harris should approach her opponent.

A good two months ahead of the US presidential elections, European commentators are debating what candidate Kamala Harris stands for. At the close of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, she explained that she wanted to overcome the divisive conflicts of the past and to bolster the middle classes in particular. Harris called for a ceasefire in the Middle East and said that she would not pander to tyrants like Kim Jong-un.

This Thursday evening, the Democratic National Convention in Chicago will close with a speech by presidential candidate Kamala Harris. In the run-up to the event, Harris had presented the key points of her economic policy. With an eye on the presidential election in November, Europe's press assesses where Harris and the Democrats stand.

US Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris has chosen the Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, as her running mate. The duo kicked off their campaign with an appearance in Pennsylvania, one of the key swing states for the presidential election in November. Not all commentators see Walz as the best option.

Vice President Kamala Harris has yet to be officially nominated as the Democratic candidate after Joe Biden's withdrawal from the US presidential campaign, but for many prominent party colleagues and Democratic voters, as well as Europe's press, this is a mere formality. Her chances against Trump and above all her record as former attorney general of California are now the subject of heated debate.

US President Joe Biden has withdrawn as a candidate in the US presidential election in November: "While it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down," the 81-year-old explained. Over the past few weeks the doubts about his candidacy had grown ever louder, even within his own ranks. Europe's press looks at who will take up the baton.

Donald Trump has picked J. D. Vance as his running mate and candidate for vice-president for the November election at the Republican National Convention this week. The 39-year-old senator from Ohio was once a fierce critic of Trump. Commentators examine what the Yale graduate and financial manager from a humble background stands for.

At the Republican National Convention, Donald Trump has been officially nominated as the party's candidate for the presidential election in November, with J. D. Vance as his vice-presidential running mate. Vance currently represents Ohio in the Senate and is known to many as the author of the bestselling autobiography Hillbilly Elegy. Europe's press comments.

After Joe Biden's weak performance in the televised debate with Donald Trump and gaffes at the Nato summit, calls for him to withdraw from the US presidential race are growing louder. Current polls put the incumbent behind Trump. Despite Biden's repeated avowals that he won't step aside, the debate in Europe's press continues.

The US Supreme Court has handed down its judgement on the extent to which former presidents are protected from criminal prosecution. According to this judgement immunity applies to official acts, at least. Decided by six votes to three, this was a victory for the ultra-conservative justices on the jury. Europe's press discusses the implications for the cases pending against ex-president Donald Trump.

Joe Biden and Donald Trump have faced off in the first televised debate between the US presidential candidates. Biden called Trump a liar and a criminal with the "morals of an alley cat" while Trump made the unsubstantiated claim that the immigration policy of the "worst president of all time" had boosted crime rates. The European press is unanimous that Biden in particular failed to convince.

Former US president Donald Trump is one step closer to the Republican presidential candidacy after clinching another US primary. He won with a 20-percentage-point lead against his rival Nikki Haley in her home state of South Carolina. Commentators discuss why Haley isn't withdrawing from the race and why Trump has such a clear lead.

Donald Trump remains the favourite to become the Republican candidate in the US presidential election in November, having defeated his rival Nikki Haley by eleven percentage points in the New Hampshire primary. Haley is now pinning her hopes on the primary in her home state of South Carolina. Europe's press calls on politicians to prepare now for the time after November.

Donald Trump has won a sweeping victory in the first Republican caucus for the US presidential election. With 51 percent, he took more than half of the votes in Iowa, followed by Ron DeSantis with around 21 percent and Nikki Haley with roughly 19 percent. Fourth-placed Vivek Ramaswamy has dropped out of the race and endorsed Trump. Europe's press braces for hard times ahead.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has withdrawn his candidacy for the Republican Party presidential nomination and endorsed Donald Trump's campaign. DeSantis made the announcement on X on Sunday. The race for the Republican candidacy will now be a duel between Trump and Nikki Haley, former governor of South Carolina. How will this turn out?