Different lives - Harris and Trump as you've never seen them before

During an election campaign in the United States, voters are often inundated with images of the candidates. They see them speaking at podiums, engaging with rally crowds, and disembarking from aircraft. However, this article presents a different visual perspective of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, two prominent figures in American politics. Both candidates were just three years old in the images shown above, and their early lives were quite different. Kamala Harris spent her formative years in Oakland, California, while Donald Trump was raised in the borough of Queens, New York. Kamala was primarily raised by her Indian mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, who was a cancer researcher and a social activist. In contrast, Donald's father, Fred Trump, was the son of German immigrants, and his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, hailed from Scotland. At the age of 13, Donald was enrolled in the New York Military Academy. Kamala Harris's childhood also included a significant period spent in Montreal, Canada, where her mother took a teaching position at McGill University. Afterward, she attended Howard University, a historically black college located in Washington, D. C. Donald Trump has often stated that his five years at the military academy, which began in 1959, provided him with military training and helped shape his leadership abilities. He did not serve in the Vietnam War, as he received deferments for various reasons, including academic pursuits and a medical condition known as bone spurs. From a young age, Kamala was instilled with the values of the civil rights movement by her mother. In 2004, she participated in the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom March in Washington, D. C. After earning a degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Trump was positioned to take over the family business. Kamala returned to California, where she quickly ascended to the top of the state's criminal justice system, eventually becoming the attorney general. This momentum propelled her to a successful campaign for the U. S. Senate in 2016. At the same time, Donald Trump was making headlines by defeating Hillary Clinton and stepping into the White House for the first time. Three years later, Kamala ran for president but did not gain much traction. However, she was selected by Joe Biden to be his running mate, and together they won the election against Trump and Mike Pence. The beginning of the Biden-Harris administration was marked by significant challenges, including COVID-19 lockdowns, mask mandates, and social unrest following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Kamala sometimes struggled to find her footing as vice president, but she found her voice in 2022 when the U. S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion. President Biden supported her in becoming the White House champion for the pro-choice movement. During his presidency, Trump had made the Supreme Court more conservative, which contributed to the abortion ruling. He also withdrew the U. S. from the Paris climate accord and implemented measures to reduce immigration. Kamala's first international visit as vice president took her to Guatemala in 2021, where she was tasked with addressing the issue of Latin American migrants arriving at the U. S. southern border. Her time in office has also been defined by foreign policy challenges, including the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as the chaotic withdrawal of U. S. troops from Afghanistan. Trump's first overseas trip as president was to Saudi Arabia in 2017, where he advocated for isolationist policies aimed at disentangling the U. S. from foreign conflicts and promoting American industry. Kamala Harris is married to Doug Emhoff, who actively campaigns on her behalf. She is also a stepmother to his children from a previous marriage, Cole and Ella. Donald Trump has a large family, with limited appearances from his wife, former First Lady Melania Trump, during the 2024 campaign. He has three children, Donald Jr. , Ivanka, and Eric, from his first marriage to Ivana, and a daughter, Tiffany, from his second marriage to Marla Maples. He married Melania in 2005, and they have one son, Barron. In 2024, Kamala entered the presidential race relatively late, taking Joe Biden's place after he withdrew. She made history as the first black and Asian-American woman to lead a major party's presidential ticket and delivered a speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois. Meanwhile, Donald Trump earned the rare distinction of receiving a third presidential nomination from his party and spoke at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, even after surviving an assassination attempt during the campaign. This article highlights the remarkable journeys of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, showcasing their evolution from childhood to becoming significant figures in American politics.