U.S Vice President and presidential candidate, Kamala Harris has given her “closing argument” speech as she seeks a finish line push to the election which is 5 days away.
The speech was meant to be an exclamation point at the end of an atypically brief campaign. “In less than 90 days, either Donald Trump or I will be in the Oval Office,” she said.
“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.”
Kamala Harris
Speaking to the crowd, Harris revisited the policy proposals that have defined her brief campaign, which began in July after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race.
She pledged to create an economic policy aimed at the middle class, with a ban on price gouging, efforts to boost the housing market and financial support for new parents.
She also promised to protect the Affordable Care Act, a law that has expanded health insurance for US residents, while expanding Medicare to cover home care.
On abortion rights, she reaffirmed her intention to sign a federal bill protecting access if one were to land on her desk.
Harris finished the speech with a pledge that she would be a different President than Biden. Still, she sought to hammer home a similar theme to Biden’s message during the 2020 race: unity.
“Here’s my promise to you. I will always listen to you, even if you didn’t vote for me. I will always tell the truth, even if it’s difficult to hear.
“I work every day to build consensus and reach compromise to get things done. And if you give me the chance to fight on your behalf, there is nothing in the world that will stand in my way.”
Kamala Harris
Reminder Of Trump’s Actions On January 6
Harris’ speech took place at a highly symbolic venue: the Ellipse, a park just south of the White House in Washington, DC.
That symbolism was the defining message of the night and the centrepiece of her speech.
On January 6, 2021, the Ellipse had been the site of a different address from Harris’ Republican rival, then-President Donald Trump.
There, he whipped up false fears of election fraud, leading thousands of his supporters to attack the United States Capitol in an effort to prevent the certification of the 2020 election.
That discord, Harris told the sprawling crowds, was the opposite of what she would bring to the White House if elected.“Tonight, I will speak to everyone about the choice and the stakes in this election. We know who Donald Trump is,” Harris noted.
“He is the person who stood at this very spot nearly four years ago and sent an armed mob to the United States capitol to overturn the will of the people in a free and fair election.
“It is a choice about whether we have a country rooted in freedom for every American or ruled by chaos or division.”
Kamala Harris
Throughout her speech, Harris repeatedly returned to the subject of Trump, repeating the stark warnings that have defined the final weeks of her campaign. “This is someone who is unstable, obsessed with revenge, consumed with grievance and out for unchecked power,” Harris said, invoking Trump’s recent reference to political opponents as the “enemy within.”
“The fact that someone disagrees with us does not make them the enemy within. They are fellow Americans, and as Americans, we rise above together.”
Kamala Harris
It remains unclear whether Harris’ message will be enough to give her the edge over Trump, with whom she is locked in a tight race. Polls have shown the candidates remain neck and neck both nationally and in a handful of key swing states.
With at least 50 million voters having already cast their ballots, the outcome is largely seen as a toss-up.
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