One year from this month, a newly elected president will take office in Washington, DC. The long and intense competition leading to that day begins on 3 February 2020, with the Iowa Caucuses, the first nominating contest in the Democratic Party’s primaries for the 2020 presidential election.

The period between those two election calendar events is less than a year but no less momentous, as we are also expecting to see an impeachment trial in the US Senate, more US troops returning to the Middle East, and continued tensions between the United States and China.

What are Trump’s chances of re-election? Which Democratic challenger is likely to be Trump’s opponent in November? What impact will renewed tensions in the Middle East have on the election, and what are the implications for Australia? And what will be the trajectory of rivalry between China and the United States in this election year?

To hear more on these issues, the USSC hosted the first in a series of public events on the 2020 US presidential election by the US Studies Centre.

The panel featured analysis by USSC experts:

  • Simon Jackman, CEO and Professor of Political Science
  • Kim Hoggard, Non-Resident Fellow and former staffer for President Ronald Reagan and President George H.W. Bush
  • Brendon O’Connor, Associate Professor in American Politics and author of Anti-Americanism and American Exceptionalism
  • Ashley Townshend, Director of Foreign Policy and Defence at the United States Studies Centre