Trump and Harris make their closing arguments.

Presidential campaigns are first and foremost about messaging. In any race, the campaigns and the media push the importance of certain ideas or moments in the hopes that they will saturate the public consciousness. But out of hundreds of attempts at this, only a handful succeed.

In 2024, during my travels to over two dozen towns and cities, there were five moments that stand out for capturing the imagination of the electorate, and shaping voting preferences of Americans. Each changed the narrative of the race and carved out a new direction for it.

No matter who wins, these are the stories that got us here.

In an echo of the original shot heard round the world, Donald Trump’s near miss in Butler, Pennsylvania, that left a defiant former president shot, bleeding and pumping his fist to the crowd is the most iconic moment of this election. For Trump supporters, the shooting reinforced what they already felt about him: that he was strong, courageous, and maybe even a bit obstinate.

Former President Trump, seen with blood on his face, is surrounded by Secret Service agents after he was shot in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024. (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)

For independents and even some Democrats I spoke with, Trump’s brush with death sent a clear signal that it was time for the dangerous rhetoric of calling him "Hitler" to stop, and for a while, it did. But not for long.

Also, at that moment, many people, including two ship workers I spoke with in Toledo, Ohio, thought the race was over. One of them looked at the TV, then at me, and said, "That’s it, he’s........

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