Harris urges US to ‘turn the page’ on Trumpism, promoting unity in a divided nation

On the Ellipse in Washington, with the White House illuminated in the background and a devoted crowd before her, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris delivered her final appeal to American voters. She presented a stark choice between two contrasting visions: her own, in which she pledged to be “a president for all Americans,” and that of her rival, Donald Trump, whom she described as “obsessed with revenge” and “consumed with grievances.” In a half-hour speech, Harris urged Americans to “turn the page” on Trumpism to prevent further “chaos.” But the most impactful element about the rally was its setting.

Harris’ choice of location had a dual meaning. It was here, on January 6, 2021, that a defeated Donald Trump delivered a speech to his supporters before they stormed the Capitol. Additionally, with the White House nearby, the setting underscored her campaign’s aim: to reach the presidency, receive the keys to the world’s most iconic executive residence from Joe Biden, and become the first woman to hold office in the Oval Office.

Washington isn’t the usual terrain for campaign rallies. In the District of Columbia, which has only three votes in the Electoral College, Democrats routinely dominate, winning over 90% of the vote. On Tuesday, residents turned out in force for Harris. Hours before the rally, with central streets closed off, thousands of supporters made their way to the Ellipse to hear the Democratic leader, willing to endure hours of lines and waiting. The crowd was notably more diverse than the audience at Trump’s rallies: young and old; white, Black, Asian, and Latino; men and women mingled, representing the multicultural coalition Harris hopes will bring her victory.

Harris’ message was intended for the entire United States. In the days ahead, she will carry it through key swing states, beginning with North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin on Wednesday, followed by Nevada and Arizona on Thursday. She appealed to patriotism, urging Americans to put “country above party” and to reject the ambitions “of wannabe dictators.” “For too long, we have been consumed with too much division, chaos and mutual distrust. It can be easy then, to forget a simple truth: it doesn’t have to be this way,” she said.

Harris spoke from behind a lectern at the end of a blue-lit catwalk, flanked by six American flags and large signs emblazoned with one of her campaign slogans, “Freedom.” There were no other speakers. After the national anthem, she appeared almost exactly on time, dressed in a black suit and white shirt, greeting the crowd with a confident “Good night, America!” as the audience chanted her name. Tens of thousands of supporters gathered for the rally, both inside and outside the security perimeter. While the Harris campaign claimed attendance reached 75,000, this figure appears somewhat inflated.

The Democratic candidate began by criticizing her Republican opponent before presenting her vision for the country. She referenced Trump’s actions on January 6 and recalled how, according to the findings of his investigation, when Trump was warned in the White House that the mob was threatening his own vice president, he responded, “So what?”

“Donald Trump has told us his priorities for a second term. He has an enemies list of people he intends to prosecute. He says one of his highest priorities is to set free the violent extremists who assaulted those law enforcement officers on January 6,” she said, sticking to the script.

“Donald Trump intends to use the United States military against American citizens who simply disagree with him. People he calls ‘the enemy from within.’ This is not a candidate for President who is thinking about how to make your life better,” she added.

“This is someone who is unstable, obsessed with revenge, consumed with grievance and out for unchecked power. Donald Trump has spent a decade trying to keep the American people divided and afraid of each other. That’s who he is. But America, I am here tonight to say: That’s not who we are,” she continued.

Biden's absence

“It’s time to stop pointing fingers and start locking arms,” Harris declared, adding that it was also “time for a new generation of leadership.” Absent from the rally was President Biden, 81, who had effectively handed her the nomination. Shortly before, from the White House, he had unintentionally complicated her unifying message by condemning the derogatory remarks made at Trump’s Sunday rally in New York — particularly a comedian’s comment referring to Puerto Rico as an “island of floating garbage.”

Biden remarked: “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” a statement he later clarified was directed at the hateful rhetoric. However, Republicans took it as a direct insult, and Trump likened it to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign remark referring to his supporters as a “basket of deplorables.”

Harris expressed pride in having served as vice president alongside him, but emphasized that her presidency would be different as it would be shaped by different challenges. This careful balance between continuity and change is central to her candidacy. The Democratic candidate said the main challenge now is tackling the high cost of living. She drew on her middle-class roots, assuring voters that her focus would be on supporting ordinary Americans rather than on tax cuts for billionaires, which she claimed Trump would prioritize.

Harris once again presented herself as someone who has spent most of her career outside Washington and a person who is willing to fight back against lobbyists. “I will always tell you the truth, even if it is difficult to hear,” she said, a line reminiscent of former president Jimmy Carter, who served from 1977 to 1981.

“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. I offer a different path, and I ask for your vote,” the vice president said in a speech that ran longer than usual and included her most famous slogans: “We are not going back.”

“Here is my pledge to you: I pledge to seek common ground and common sense solutions to make your lives better. I am not looking to score political points. I am looking to make progress. I pledge to listen: To experts, to those who will be impacted by the decisions I make, and to people who disagree with me. Unlike Donald Trump, I don’t believe people who disagree with me are the enemy. He wants to put them in jail. I’ll give them a seat at the table,” said Harris. As in previous rallies, she contrasted Trump’s “enemies list” with her “to-do list.”

Some of her remarks were nearly identical to those she has repeated throughout the campaign, including in her acceptance speech at the Democratic convention. “I pledge to be a president for all Americans. To always put country above party and above self,” she said, once again appealing for unity in a deeply divided nation.

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