Leaders | America and the world

Donald Trump poses the biggest danger to the world in 2024

What his victory in America’s election would mean

Image: Andrea Ucini

A SHADOW LOOMS over the world. In this week’s edition we publish The World Ahead 2024, our 38th annual predictive guide to the coming year, and in all that time no single person has ever eclipsed our analysis as much as Donald Trump eclipses 2024. That a Trump victory next November is a coin-toss probability is beginning to sink in.

Mr Trump dominates the Republican primary. Several polls have him ahead of President Joe Biden in swing states. In one, for the New York Times, 59% of voters trusted him on the economy, compared with just 37% for Mr Biden. In the primaries, at least, civil lawsuits and criminal prosecutions have only strengthened Mr Trump. For decades Democrats have relied on support among black and Hispanic voters, but a meaningful number are abandoning the party. In the next 12 months a stumble by either candidate could determine the race—and thus upend the world.

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This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline "Next year’s great danger"

Donald Trump poses the biggest danger to the world in 2024

From the November 18th 2023 edition

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