Kamala Harris's closing argument was witnessed by 75,000 people at the same spot where Donald Trump gave his January 6 speech, triggering Capitol Hill violence.
Washington: In her final pitch before the crucial November 5 elections, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris urged Americans to “turn the page” on her Republican rival Donald Trump, whom she called 'unstable' and 'obsessed with revenge', and vote for her instead.
Offering her campaign's closing argument on October 29 from the Ellipse, a portion of the Capitol grounds that hosted President Donald Trump's rally of 2020, Harris said: "America, we know what Donald Trump has in mind: more chaos, more division and policies that help those at the very top and hurt everyone else,” she said. “I offer a different path, and I ask for your vote”.
Harris's campaign said the location of the speech had been chosen to draw a sharp contrast between the VP and the former president. “We are not at this location by accident. We believe the Ellipse is significant,” Jen O’Malley Dillon, Harris’s campaign chair, told reporters.'uniter'
In the biggest speech of her political career, Harris presented herself as someone who feels protective about people who are treated unfairly and taken advantage of, saying that's something she got from her mother, the India-born Shyamala Gopalan Harris.
She framed her campaign as a choice between unity and division, presenting herself as an "uniter" in contrast to Trump, who, she said, is a "divider". "On Day One, if elected, Donald Trump would walk into that office with an enemies list. When elected, I will walk in with a to-do list full of priorities on what I will get done for the American people."
Harris, who said that she would listen to people even if they don't vote for her, outlined her priorities if elected, including protecting abortion rights, expanding Medicare to cover elder care, and supporting first-time homebuyers. In a speech lasting nearly 30 minutes, Harris said that she will always "uphold our security, advance our national interest, and ensure that the United States of America remains as we must forever be a champion of liberty around the world".
Results of the pivotal electionOver 41 million Americans have already cast their ballots ahead of Election Day, setting the stage for one of the most intense elections in recent history. The counting of votes will begin on November 5 itself, but it could take days before it is known who will be the next US president. Seven swing states, including Georgia and Michigan, will reportedly decide the election. Trump's stance on abortion and his Supreme Court appointments have galvanized conservative voters, while Harris's position on Israel has alienated some Muslim and Arab American voters. |
