At the site of an especially dark moment in U.S. history, Vice President Kamala Harris gave an address that served as one of her last attempts at galvanizing voters into action.
The Democratic presidential nominee visited the Capitol’s Ellipse in Washington, D.C. this week for her final rally – the same location where former President Donald Trump told a crowd of his supporters to “fight like hell” on Jan. 6, 2021, just before the famed insurrection attempt took place. During her speech, she said this election will probably be “the most important vote” Americans will ever cast, while asserting that freedom is at stake with Trump as her alternative.
“Donald Trump has spent a decade trying to keep the American people divided and afraid of each other,” Harris said to the crowd. “That is who he is. But America, I am here tonight to say, that is not who we are.”
Harris drew several stark contrasts between what her administration would look like, and what Trump’s would likely herald. She spoke of her first day of office, and the “to-do list” she’d implement, while noting that her opponent would likely have an “enemies list” in hand instead.
She also touched upon the initiatives she would champion, including Medicare coverage for home care of seniors, and giving women back the freedom to make decisions about their own bodies. “When Congress passes a bill to restore reproductive freedom nationwide, as president of the United States, I will proudly sign it into law,” Harris said to a cheering crowd. “Proudly.”
With Election Day less than one week away, the race between Harris and Trump remains tight. The latest polls from the Economist and British research company YouGov say Harris leads Trump by 2 points, while polls from The New York Times and the Siena College Research Institute show that the two candidates are deadlocked at 48%. This data comes with Harris fresh off a round of visits to key battleground states like Pennsylvania and Michigan – while visiting the latter, she brought out singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers, in an effort to excite college-age voters in Ann Arbor.
Though the race is close, Harris remains hopeful as ever. Near the end of her speech on Tuesday, she proclaimed that America is not a vessel for the schemes of “wannabe dictators,” and encouraged Americans to reach for a future of possibilities.
“Each of you has the power to turn the page and start writing the next chapter in the most extraordinary story ever told,” Harris concluded.
