WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Kamala Harris told Americans on Tuesday that Donald Trump鈥檚 efforts to sow division and fear are 鈥渘ot who we are鈥� as she reinforced her campaign鈥檚 closing argument by delivering it from the same site where the Republican former president fomented the Capitol insurrection in 2021.
One week out from , the vice president used the address from the grassy Ellipse near the White House to pledge to Americans that she would work to improve their lives while arguing that is only in it for himself.
Trump "has spent a decade trying to keep the American people divided and afraid of each other: That鈥檚 who he is,鈥� Harris said. 鈥淏ut America, I am here tonight to say: That鈥檚 not who we are.鈥�
Delivering her capstone speech from , spewed falsehoods about the 2020 presidential election that inspired a crowd to march to the Capitol and try unsuccessfully to halt the certification of Democrat Joe Biden's victory, Harris reminded voters of Trump's role nearly four years ago and his focus on his own self-interest.
鈥淟ook, we know who Donald Trump is. 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,鈥� she said.
But Harris did not deliver a treatise on democracy 鈥� a staple of President Joe Biden鈥檚 own attempts to draw a . Instead she aimed to make a broader case for why voters should reject Trump and consider what she offers, while introducing herself to voters still clamoring for more information and encouraging the crowd to visualize their divergent futures hanging in the balance on Election Day.
鈥淗e has an enemies list of people he intends to prosecute,鈥� Harris said. 鈥淗e says one of his highest priorities is to set free the violent extremists who assaulted those law enforcement officers on Jan. 6. 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.鈥�
Her speech drew a massive crowd to Washington, with an overflow crowd spilling under the Washington Monument on the National Mall. More critically, her campaign hopes the setting will help catch the attention of battleground state voters who remain on the fence about whom to vote for 鈥� or whether to vote at all.
Ahead of Harris' remarks, her campaign organized a speakers list of ordinary Americans, rather than the star power that has been featured at some of her recent events, or the parade of elected officials often in the program at Washington events. They included Amanda Zurawski, a woman who nearly died from sepsis after being denied care under Texas' strict abortion ban, and Craig Sicknick, the brother of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who died in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack.
Ruth Chiari, 78, of Charlottesville, Virginia, was attending the rally with her husband to 鈥渟upport democracy.鈥�
鈥淚 think everybody understands what鈥檚 on the ballot,鈥� she said as she waited in line near the Treasury building to enter the event. 鈥淲e鈥檙e either going to have an autocrat or freedom.鈥�
Kathleen Nicholas, 36, a government relations worker in Washington, remembered Jan. 6 and loved the contrast of the crowd and atmosphere to that day. 鈥淚 like she chose this place for her closing,鈥� she said. 鈥淗aving something that is a direct contrast to that day is what we needed.鈥�
With time running out and the race tight, Harris and Trump have both sought big moments to try to shift momentum their way.
The address came days after Harris traveled to Texas, a reliably Republican state, to and emphasize the consequences for women after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. That, too, was a speech meant to register with voters far away in the battleground states.
The vice president鈥檚 latest address has been in the works for weeks. But aides hoped her message would land with more impact after at Madison Square Garden in New York, where speakers hurled cruel and racist insults. Harris said the event 鈥渉ighlighted the point that I鈥檝e been making throughout this campaign.鈥�
鈥淗e is focused and actually fixated on his grievances, on himself and on dividing our country,鈥� she said.
Harris sought to lay out a pragmatic and forward-looking plan for the country, including reminding voters about her economic proposals and pledging to work for access to reproductive care, including abortion.
鈥淯nlike Donald Trump, I don鈥檛 believe people who disagree with me are the enemy,鈥� Harris said. 鈥淗e wants to put them in jail. I鈥檒l give them a seat at my table. And I pledge to be a president for all Americans. To always put country above party and above self."
Also central to her message: positioning herself as a 鈥渘ew generation鈥� of leader after Trump and even her current boss, Biden.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 have to be this way," Harris said. "We have to stop pointing fingers and start locking arms. It is time to turn the page on the drama and the conflict and confusion.鈥�
She acknowledged that 鈥渕any of you are still getting to know who I am" after her surprise elevation to the top of the Democratic ticket after Biden dropped out of the race in July, and used her remarks to try to answer voters' curiosity.
鈥淚 recognize this has not been a typical campaign,鈥� Harris said, adding that she is 鈥渘ot afraid of tough fights against bad actors and powerful interests.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檒l be honest with you: I鈥檓 not perfect,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 make mistakes. But here鈥檚 what I promise you: I will always listen to you, even if you don鈥檛 vote for me. I will always tell you the truth, even if it鈥檚 hard to hear. I will 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.鈥�
Ahead of Harris鈥� speech, Trump used remarks to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida on Tuesday morning to accuse Harris of closing with a message that doesn鈥檛 address everyday Americans鈥� day-to-day struggles and kitchen-table concerns.
He said Harris keeps 鈥渢alking about Hitler, and Nazis, because her record鈥檚 horrible,鈥� a reference to Harris amplifying the warnings from his former chief of staff that Trump spoke admiringly of the Nazi leader while in office.
Harris' aides, many of whom also advised Biden鈥檚 campaign before he dropped out, still believe that centering the race on who Trump is and how she's different will be their strongest message for voters.
鈥淪he鈥檚 already made her case, she鈥檚 presented the evidence. She鈥檚 offering up a summation tonight, and she has faith in the wisdom of the jury," campaign communications director Michael Tyler said.
Biden told reporters Tuesday that he will not attend Harris鈥� speech because the event is 鈥渇or her,鈥� but he planned to watch it on television. Ahead of Harris' remarks, Biden is reacted to calling Puerto Rico garbage at a by saying, 鈥淭he only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters."
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Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price in Palm Beach, Florida, Ayana Alexander in Baltimore, and Fatima Hussein, Chris Megerian, Dan Merica, Will Weissert, Colleen Long and Gary Fields in Washington contributed to this report.
Zeke Miller, The Associated Press
