Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to deliver the closing argument for her presidential campaign from the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, just a week before Election Day. This location holds significance as it is where former President Donald Trump delivered a speech before the riot on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Harris aims to draw a sharp contrast between her campaign and Trump’s by focusing on policies that improve Americans’ lives and accusing her Republican counterpart of running for personal gain.
Harris’s upcoming speech follows a recent trip to Texas, a Republican stronghold, where she joined Beyoncé to highlight the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. This visit was part of Harris’s broader effort to connect with voters ahead of Election Day. During her address at the Ellipse, Harris is expected to outline a pragmatic, forward-focused agenda that emphasizes her economic proposals and reaffirms her commitment to expanding access to reproductive healthcare, including abortion. Her campaign chair, Jen O’Malley Dillon, believes that this speech location will help crystalize the choice in this election by providing a visual reminder of Donald Trump’s misuse of power.
In response to Harris’s upcoming speech, Trump criticized her approach, accusing her of failing to address the everyday challenges and issues that matter most to Americans. Trump referenced Harris’s repeated warnings about his former chief of staff’s comments regarding his admiration for Hitler and Nazis, suggesting that her focus is misplaced. Despite this criticism, Harris remains focused on her message, highlighting the stark differences between her vision for the country and Trump’s. She emphasizes her commitment to working on behalf of the American people if elected, rather than focusing on personal vendettas as she suggests Trump would do.
Harris’s decision to deliver her closing argument from the same location where Trump spoke before the Capitol riot is a strategic move to underscore the differences between their campaigns and to draw attention to the consequences of Trump’s words and actions. By choosing this symbolic location, Harris is seeking to remind voters of the chaos and violence that erupted as a result of Trump’s false claims about the 2020 election. This speech is an opportunity for Harris to make her final pitch to voters, focusing on policies that will benefit Americans and criticizing Trump’s divisive and self-serving approach to leadership.
As Election Day draws closer, Harris’s speech at the Ellipse serves as a culmination of her campaign efforts to connect with voters and highlight the stakes of the election. By outlining her policy proposals and contrasting them with Trump’s record, Harris aims to make a compelling case for why she is the best choice for the presidency. Despite Trump’s criticism of her approach, Harris remains focused on delivering her message to the American people and demonstrating her commitment to serving their interests. This speech marks a pivotal moment in Harris’s campaign as she seeks to energize supporters and win over undecided voters in the final days of the election.
