It’s been a whirlwind of a presidential election campaign, consisting of an assassination attempt (and another alleged one), changing candidates and some bizarre claims on the campaign trail.
With just a day to go before Americans head to their polling stations, here’s a recap of some of the biggest moments…
Trump shot at rally
On 13 July, Donald Trumpbecame the first president or candidate to be shot since Ronald Reagan in 1981.
The former president escaped with a bullet wound to his ear in the attack as he was giving a speech to supporters in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Image: Donald Trump held up his fist after the gunshot grazed his ear. Pic: AP
Eight shots had been fired by 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, who was positioned on the roof of a nearby building, before he was killed by a Secret Service counter sniper.
Corey Comperatore, a former volunteer fire chief, was shot dead in the crowd as he tried to shield his family from the bullets.
As Mr Trump was mobbed by Secret Service agents seeking to shield him, he took a moment to pump his fist and shout “fight” to his cheering admirers in the audience.
Musk endorses Trump
On the night of the shooting, billionaire Tesla boss Elon Musk posted on X saying: “I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery.”
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This proved significant for Mr Trump, not just for the X owner’s immense social media presence and general clout – but also for his wallet.
Between July and September, Musk donated $75m (£58m) to a campaign group he set up to support Mr Trump’s presidential bid, and gave about $44m (£34m) in the first half of October, financial disclosures show.
He’s also spoken at a number of Mr Trump’s rallies.
The 81-year-old’s frequent blunders during speeches, particularly during a disastrous debate with Mr Trump a month prior, threw cold water over his push for a second term.
He instantly threw his support behind his vice president Kamala Harris, urging Democrats to donate to her campaign as he pulled out.
Harris runs for office
She got the president’s backing instantly, but Ms Harris still needed to be formally chosen as the Democrats’ new presidential nominee.
The 60-year-old had a couple of potential challengers just after Mr Biden dropped out, but it never looked in doubt once former president Barack Obama endorsed her.
In her first speech after accepting the nomination, she called for unity, saying this was “a chance to chart a new way forward”.
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1:40
Harris addresses Democratic National Convention after nomination
‘Kamala IS brat’
Yes, Ms Harris needed her party’s backing to become its nominee, but she also needed to get potential Democratic voters on her side, fast.
A branding opportunity seemingly fell right into her lap when British pop star Charli XCX endorsed her, writing in a post on X: “Kamala IS brat”.
Out of context, it sounds like a peculiar insult.
But Charli XCX had just released her smash hit album Brat, leading to a social media trend for something known as a “brat summer”.
Instead of its typical meaning – a badly behaved or ill-mannered child – the singer had helped redefine brat as a lifestyle “characterised by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude”.
Ms Harris and her campaign pounced on the trend, creating artwork for her HQ campaign account which mirrored that of the Brat album.
Image: The branding on Harris’s account. Pic:@KamalaHQ/X
Image: The Brat album cover. Pic: Charli XCX
‘Childless cat ladies’
Now-infamous comments made by Mr Trump’s running mate JD Vance in 2021 resurfaced shortly after the brat endorsement.
Mr Vance, speaking to Fox News at the time, had said Ms Harris and other Democrats were “a bunch of childless cat ladies… miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made”.
“The entire future of the Democrats is controlled by people without children,” he said, despite the fact Ms Harris co-parents two stepchildren – Ella and Cole – with her husband Doug Emhoff.
Image: JD Vance’s comments about ‘childless cat ladies’ faced criticism. Pic: AP
Friends star Jennifer Aniston criticised Mr Vance’s remarks as she shared the clip on Instagram, writing in the caption: “I truly can’t believe this is coming from a potential VP of The United States.”
The Ohio senator said he stood by the sentiment but that his remarks weren’t a criticism of people who decide not to have children.
“This is not about criticising people who, for various reasons, didn’t have kids,” he said. “This is about criticising the Democratic Party for becoming anti-family and anti-child.”
The Harris campaign hit back at Mr Vance’s comments, saying “every single American has a stake in this country’s future”.
Trump questions Harris’s racial identity
In a move that drew gasps from the audience at a convention hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago, Mr Trump questioned the racial identity of Ms Harris, asking: “Is she Indian or is she black?”
He said: “I’ve known her a long time, indirectly not directly… and she was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage.
“I didn’t know she was black, until a number of years ago when she happened to turn black, and now she wants to be known as black, so I don’t know, is she Indian or is she black?”
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0:56
‘Is she Indian or is she black?’
Ms Harris is the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, both immigrants to the US.
In response, Ms Harris said the comments were “the same old show” and that “America deserves better”.
But he truly made his mark with a landmark speech at the Democratic National Convention a couple of weeks later, telling his party’s faithful it was “time to turn the page” on Donald Trump.
It was the sort of speech you’d fully expect from a former American football coach like Mr Walz, as he urged his comrades to “leave it all out on the field” until election day.
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0:37
Tim Walz’s son leads the applause
There was seemingly no one more inspired by Mr Walz than his son Gus, who stood up midway through his speech and, through tears, proudly exclaimed: “That’s my dad!”
‘They’re eating the pets…’
You’d be forgiven for assuming cats would only play a key part in the election campaign once.
But the “childless cat lady” comments were in fact overshadowed by completely unsubstantiated claims repeated by Mr Trump and Mr Vance about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, eating residents’ household pets.
In a presidential debate between him and Ms Harris, Mr Trump said: “In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats… They’re eating… they’re eating the pets of the people that live there.
“And this is what’s happening in our country, and it’s a shame.”
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0:53
‘They’re eating pets in Springfield’
Ms Harris, who could be seen laughing and saying “this is unbelievable”, responded when it was her turn: “Talk about extreme.”
It was the headline-grabber in what has proved to be the only debate between the candidates, but they also clashed over issues including abortion, the economy and illegal immigration.
Almost straight after the debate, Taylor Swift told her 283 million Instagram followers she would be voting for Ms Harris.
The singer urged them to “do your research” – but said AI-generated images of her supporting Mr Trump made her realise “I need to be very transparent about my actual plans”.
The post was accompanied by a photo of the singer holding her cat Benjamin Button, and she signed off with “Taylor Swift – Childless Cat Lady”.
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Mr Trump initially dismissed Swift’s endorsement of his rival for the presidency by simply saying he was “not a Taylor fan“.
But days later, as public opinion polls showed Ms Harris gaining significant ground on him, the former president took to his Truth Social media account to add: “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!”
‘Assassination attempt’ on Trump at golf course
A second apparent attempt on Mr Trump’s life was thwarted by the Secret Service on 15 September as the former president played golf at his course in West Palm Beach in Florida.
Ryan Routh was arrested after a rifle was seen poking through bushes near where Mr Trump was playing.
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0:23
The footage shows moment suspect is arrested
He had allegedly been staking out for around 12 hours before an agent spotted him and opened fire. He was detained less than an hour later, having fled the scene.
Mr Trump used the incident to demonstrate his resilience.
“Nothing will slow me down,” he wrote in a statement. “I will NEVER SURRENDER! I will always love you for supporting me.
“Unity. Peace. Make America Great Again. May God bless you.”
As a result, well over a billion dollars is said to have been spent on presidential ads targeted at the more than 60 million people living in them.
Musk has thrown his wealth behind Mr Trump in a way that’s never been seen before: by promising to give away $1m (£772,000) each day until 5 November to registered voters in swing states.
All the voters have to do to become eligible is sign his online free speech and gun rights petition.
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0:39
Musk hands out $1m cheques
The first $1m was awarded to a man named John Dreher during a campaign event in Pennsylvania on 19 October.
The X owner was subsequently summoned to an emergency court hearing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, accused of operating an illegal lottery and trying to influence voters.
But the lawsuit has been placed on hold while a federal court considers whether to take up the case, meaning Musk is free to continue the giveaway.
Campaigning almost over – but more drama to come
The candidates will be trying to win over voters right up until voting closes on the evening of Tuesday 5 November.
There will be live coverage on Sky News throughout election night, led by chief presenter Mark Austin, world news presenter Yalda Hakim and US correspondent Mark Stone.
Fellow correspondents James Matthews and Martha Kelner will be reporting on the ground in the candidates’ home states of Florida and California as the results come in.
As it becomes clearer who will become the next president, chief presenter Anna Botting and presenter Gillian Joseph will join Austin, Stone and Hakim for both the build-up and aftermath of the election.
On the night, Sky News will have access to the most comprehensive exit poll and vote-counting results from every state, county and demographic across America through its US partner network NBC.
You can find out more about Sky News’ coverage here.
There are 161 people still missing in Texas in the aftermath of last weekend’s deadly flash floods, the state’s governor has said.
Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, governor Gregg Abbot said the number of missing had risen markedly.
He said among the missing were five children and one counsellor from Camp Mystic – where at least 27 people were killed in the flash flooding.
At least 109 people are confirmed to have died in the floods, which took place on the 4 July weekend, but this figure has been steadily climbing ever since.
Image: People comforted each other in Kerville. Pic: Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via AP
The bulk of deaths, and the main search for additional bodies, have been concentrated in Kerr County and the city of Kerrville.
The area was transformed into a disaster zone when torrential rains struck the region early last Friday, unleashing deadly flooding along the Guadalupe River.
Travis County, Kendall County, Burnett County, Williamson County, and Tom Green County were also hit.
Mr Abbot said many of those who were unaccounted for were in the Texas Hill Country area, but had not registered at a camp or hotel, posing further challenges for authorities.
Camp Mystic
Mr Abbot planned to make another visit to Camp Mystic.
The century-old all-girls Christian summer camp was badly hit by the flash floods, with at least 27 campers and counsellors dying.
Image: Hanna Lawrence, left, and Rebecca Lawrence, right. Pic: John Lawrence/AP
Image: Lila Bonner (L) and Eloise Peck both died in the flash floods at Camp Mystic, Texas. Pic: Family handout
Image: Chloe Childress. Pic: Debra Alexander Photography via AP
Some of the victims include Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence, both eight, Chloe Childress, 19, who was among the counsellors at Camp Mystic when the flood hit, and Eloise Peck and Lila Bonner, both nine.
There were scenes of devastation at the camp as the flood water receded.
Outside the cabins where the girls had slept, mud-splattered blankets and pillows were scattered.
Also in the debris were pink, purple and light blue luggage, decorated with stickers.
Image: A view inside a cabin at Camp Mystic after the flooding. Pic: Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images
Image: Camper’s belongings lie on the ground following flooding on the Guadalupe River, at Camp Mystic.
Pic: Reuters
‘Everything looked flooded and broken’
One of the campers, 10-year-old Lucy Kennedy, told Sky’s US partner network, NBC News, that she woke up to the sound of thunder at around midnight before the floods struck.
“I couldn’t go back to sleep,” she said. “I just had a feeling that something really bad was about to happen.”
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She said the girls at the camp were told to grab blankets, pillows and water bottles and line up single file as the floodwater rose, before getting airlifted to safety.
Wynne Kennedy, Lucy’s mother, added: “When I saw her, she was wrapped up in a blanket, had a teddy bear.
“We just held each other tight, and I held her all night.”
Their home in Kerrville was also destroyed by the flash floods.
Image: Lucy Kennedy, 10 who was rescued from Camp Mystic, and her mother Wynne. Pic: NBC
Political row
Meanwhile, a political row has unfolded parallel to the recovery efforts, with some questioning whether local authorities sent out warnings and alerts early enough.
Similarly, Democrats have criticised Donald Trump over cuts his Elon Musk-launched Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has made to the National Weather Service – but it isn’t clear whether these actually made any difference.
The flash floods erupted before daybreak on Friday, after massive amounts of rainfall caused the Guadalupe River to rise by eight metres in less than an hour.
The wall of water overwhelmed cabins, tents and trails along the river’s edge.
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The date for Sean “Diddy” Combs’s sentencing hearing has been confirmed.
Following his high-profile trial, the hip-hop mogul was found guilty of two counts of transportation for prostitution by jurors in Manhattan, New York, last week – but was cleared of sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.
Defence lawyers argued Combs, who has been in prison in Brooklyn since his arrest in September last year, should be bailed ahead of sentencing given the not guilty verdicts for the more serious charges, but Judge Arun Subramanian denied this – citing, among other things, the rapper’s own admissions of previous violent behaviour.
Image: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs in court after the verdict was delivered. Pic: Reuters/ Jane Rosenberg
The charges of sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy carried a potential life sentence. Combs still faces up to 20 years in prison for the prostitution-related offences, but is not expected to receive the maximum punishment.
After the verdict was delivered, the judge scheduled the sentencing hearing for 3 October. At a remote follow-up conference on Tuesday, with agreement from the defence and prosecution, the judge approved the date.
Combs joined the call but did not make any comment.
Any sentence will include credit for time already served – which will be just over a year by the time the hearing takes place.
During his trial, Combs was accused by prosecutors of abusing and coercing three alleged victims, including his former long-term partner, singer and model Cassie Ventura.
Jurors found the allegations did not amount to sex-trafficking or racketeering, or running a criminal enterprise – but they did find him guilty of transporting Cassie and another former girlfriend “Jane” for prostitution offences around the US, and paying male escorts to engage in sexual encounters.
Despite the guilty verdict on those charges, the 55-year-old’s team described it as “the victory of all victories”.
In an interview over the weekend, defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo said Combs had received a standing ovation from fellow inmates when he returned to jail after being acquitted of the more serious charges.
“They all said, ‘We never get to see anyone who beats the government’,” he said.
Ahead of sentencing, Combs’s lawyers will file their recommendations by 19 September, with prosecutors likely to follow a week later.
Prosecutors previously said the rapper could face about four to five years in prison under federal sentencing guidelines, while the defence has suggested a two-year sentence.
Donald Trump has said, again, that he is “not happy” with Vladimir Putin.
In an extraordinary cabinet meeting, the US president criticised his Russian counterpart, and announced he had approved sending defensive weapons to Ukraine.
After weeks of rejecting Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s request for defence support – why the sudden change of tact? Is Trump’s relationship with Putin fraying?
And what’s the latest as Trump hosts Benjamin Netanyahu again, a day after the Israeli prime minister announced he had nominated the US leader for the Nobel Peace Prize.
What next in hopes for a ceasefire in Gaza? Tariffs are also back. Trump announces more… and more.
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