President-elect Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 election was buoyed by multiple factors that pushed him ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris, including numerous photos that drove him to the top of social media.
Most of Trump’s viral pictures took place in the second half of the year after the first presidential debate between him and President Joe Biden, though all of them showcased the president-elect’s Americana, and a few of which became icons for his campaign. Here are some of the most memorable moments caught on film.
“Fight, fight, fight!” in Butler, Pennsylvania (July 13)
The most famous photo of Trump’s campaign, and arguably the year, featured Trump raising his fist mere moments after he narrowly survived an assassination attempt in which the bullet grazed his right ear. Trump was quickly surrounded by Secret Service agents after going to the ground, to which he then raised his fist and chanted, “Fight, fight, fight.”
The photo was then featured in several campaign ads for Trump, along with merchandise items for Trump’s campaign like T-shirts and coffee mugs.
“Look at the video of him raising his fist,” sports journalist Stephen A. Smith said when reflecting on the assassination attempt. “Look at the crowd going crazy behind him. Look at them saying, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah!’ And then, listen to the pundits on TV talking about how strong, how vibrant, how courageous — and they were using these words! And not coincidentally, it was the antithesis of what they’ve been saying about President Biden.”
Comforting Laken Riley’s family (March 9)
While in Georgia, President Donald J. Trump met the family and friends of Laken Riley. pic.twitter.com/DytNT65DQ7
— Team Trump (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TeamTrump) March 11, 2024
Shortly after Laken Riley, a University of Georgia student, was murdered by an illegal immigrant in February, Trump spoke at a rally in Rome, Georgia, during which he condemned the immigrant for killing Riley while also condemning President Joe Biden for misnaming her as “Lincoln Riley” during his State of the Union speech.
Trump also promised Riley’s family that he would “demand justice for Laken” while also promising to keep her memory “alive for as long as we are here on this Earth.”
Riley’s death was discussed greatly by Trump and his campaign in the 2024 election cycle, specifically on the need for border security along the southern border.
Trump and new running mate J.D. Vance appear onstage at the Republican National Convention (July 16)
Right before the 2024 Republican National Convention, Trump announced that Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, a Republican senator from Ohio, would be his running mate, with the two sharing the spotlight several times during the convention. The former president sported an ear bandage for the convention, which was held mere days after Trump narrowly survived his assassination attempt.
Many Republicans praised Trump’s choice in Vance, calling the Ohio senator a “new generation” of leadership for the party.
Prior to selecting Vance as his vice presidential candidate, Trump endorsed Vance in the 2022 Ohio Senate race, which saw the candidate beat out fellow Ohio state treasurer Josh Mandel in the Republican primary before going on to beat former Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) in the general election.
Accepting Jocelyn Nungaray’s photo (Aug. 22)
Another death caused by illegal immigrants, 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, drew the attention of Trump, who opted to visit her grieving mother, Alexis Nungaray. Trump and Nungaray’s mother spoke at an event at the U.S.-Mexico border recounting her death, during which Trump accepted a pin from Nungaray containing a photo of Jocelyn.
“Alexis, we cannot fathom your pain,” Trump said at the event. “There are so many people that are going through this pain, but we pledge to always hold Jocelyn in our hearts.”
RFK Jr.’s unity handshake (Aug. 23)
Robert Kennedy Jr. initially ran as a Democratic presidential candidate in the 2024 election before swapping to an independent run, before opting to suspend his campaign in August and endorse Trump. The announcement was made during a Trump rally in Arizona, with one photo catching a shot of their handshake.
“These agencies, the FDA, USDA, and CDC, all of them are controlled by giant for-profit corporations,” Kennedy said. “75% of the FDA’s funding doesn’t come from taxpayers, it comes from pharma, and pharma executives and consultants and lobbyists cycle in and out of these agencies. With President Trump’s backing, I’m going to change that.”
Following his endorsement, Kennedy began to push the motto “Make America Healthy Again,” a play on Trump’s famous MAGA catchphrase. He also vowed to work with Trump to “clean up” the nation’s public health agencies. Since then, Trump has nominated Kennedy to be his administration’s health and human services secretary.
Elon Musk jumps for joy (Oct. 5)
One of Trump’s most iconic rallies in the 2024 election cycle took place in October when he returned to Butler, Pennsylvania, following the assassination attempt a few months prior. In addition to being joined by Vance, Trump was also joined by X owner Elon Musk, with one photo capturing the world’s richest man jumping on stage right behind the Republican candidate.
“I think President Trump represents the actual path to a democratic future, ironically, because they say he’s a threat to democracy,” Musk told the Washington Examiner’s Salena Zito. “But, in fact, the ones saying he’s a threat to democracy are the ones who are a threat to democracy in reality.”
MAGADonald’s (Oct. 20)
Just over two weeks before the 2024 election, Trump ditched his blazer for a McDonald’s apron to sling fries at the Golden Arches. The campaign move, which quickly became viral online, was a jab at Harris for her claim that she had once worked at McDonald’s herself, a claim Trump repeatedly argued was false.
“This is fun,” Trump was heard saying while he worked, adding that he “might come back” to work the shift again.
Shortly after the visit to McDonald’s, Trump’s campaign began selling T-shirts bearing his photo waving out to customers in the drive-thru window, bearing the word “MAGADonald’s.”
Hulk Hogan arm wrestle (Oct. 27)
Wrestling icons The Undertaker and Kane also officially supported Trump’s presidential bid, though arguably the most famous of them was none other than Hulk Hogan, who snapped a photo with Trump arm wrestling the Republican candidate.
Hogan also spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention, with his speech getting massive attention online. The most famous moment of his speech occurred when he ripped open his shirt to showcase his “Trump-Vance” shirt underneath, calling to “let Trumpmania run wild, brother!”
Embracing Melania Trump at Madison Square Garden (Oct. 27)
Former and incoming first lady Melania Trump spent most of the 2024 campaign off the trail, only joining her husband at occasional events like the Republican National Convention. One major rally she joined her husband for, however, was at the rally held at Madison Square Garden in New York, where the presidential candidate was seen embracing his wife while giving her a kiss.
Melania Trump called for New York City to bring back its “magic,” and proceeded to list the growing problems the city has faced, such as “declining quality of life,” “economic instability,” and rising crime.
Trash talk (Oct. 30)
In the final week before the election, Trump donned an orange vest and got behind the wheel of a trash truck bearing his campaign logo, a jab at Biden calling Trump’s supporters at the Madison Square Garden rally “garbage.”
“How do you like my garbage truck?” Trump asked reporters.
Trump also said that Biden “should be ashamed of himself, if he knows what he‘s even doing.” Prior to his trash man stunt, he told rallygoers in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, that Biden was saying what “Joe and Kamala” really think of his supporters.
Fireside chat with Biden (Nov. 13)
A week after winning the presidential election, the president-elect met with Biden in the White House, accompanied by a roaring fire in the Oval Office’s fireplace. During the two-hour meeting, Biden congratulated Trump on his victory, saying he was looking “forward to having a smooth transition.”
“It will be as smooth as it can get and I very much appreciate that, Joe,” Trump said, to which the president replied “You’re welcome.”
Trump made honorary champion at UFC 309 (Nov. 16)
Trump and a few of his friends and allies headed back to Madison Square Garden in mid-November to watch the UFC 309 fight. During the event, Jon Jones ended his match early in the third round with a technical knockout against Stipe Miocic and lent his heavyweight champion title belt to Trump.
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During the event, Trump greeted UFC announcer Joe Rogan, who hosted the presidential candidate on his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, less than two weeks before the election. Rogan endorsed Trump shortly after hosting him on the podcast.
With 2024 capturing multiple iconic photos of Trump’s campaign, there will likely be more to come now that Trump returns to the White House in January, especially regarding future events happening in the nation. 2026 will see the United States celebrate its 250th anniversary, while 2028 will see the U.S. host the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
