It's rare, in the world's oldest democracy, for a former president to actively prepare for a potential return to power after leaving the White House. Grover Cleveland, elected in 1884 as the 22^nd president of the United States, is the only one in his country's history to have made a successful return to office, while four other presidents have tried but failed. Donald J. Trump is only the sixth former president to attempt such a comeback. But the conditions under which he is preparing to campaign to secure the Republican Party's nomination are unprecedented.

The former president is the target of multiple legal proceedings, two of which involve charges of conspiracy against the United States, linked to his ongoing and documented efforts to overturn the outcome of the 2020 US presidential election. Seven of these proceedings are expected to result in trials and/or possible convictions this year, even as Trump will be engaged in the battle for the Republican nomination.

The multiple lawsuits that Trump is facing will completely shake up the American election year, which is likely to attract even more attention than usual.

The complex process of primaries and caucuses to determine the Republican and Democratic candidates begins on January 15 in Iowa and culminates in the two parties' conventions this summer. However, the names of the contenders could be known earlier, if their opponents throw in the towel before these two deadlines. As is the case every four years, Super Tuesday, on March 5, could prove decisive.

Apart from the Supreme Court, which has to rule on his eligibility in two states, nothing seems likely to prevent him from running, and the many courtrooms where he is due to appear will all be platforms he intends to exploit to present himself as a martyr up against "corrupt elites." Indeed, Trump enjoys an overwhelming lead in the Republican electorate (over 60% in national polls), and his popularity seems to be waning only superficially as a result of his antics and behavior, whatever they may be. In August 2023, according to figures aggregated by the website FiveThirtyEight, Trump fell by an average of just five points in the polls after his indictment in Georgia for his attempt to manipulate presidential results in that state, before climbing back stronger than before in the weeks following his famous mugshot.

The timeline below lists all the important dates, whether electoral or judicial, and will be updated regularly to reflect developments in the US.