Election Countdown: Kamala Harris pledges unity in Ellipse speech

Kamala Harris made her closing arguments at the Ellipse in Washington, DC, on Tuesday night, where more than 75,000 supporters turned out to support the vice president.

The speech took place where Donald Trump addressed his supporters on Jan. 6, 2021, before they stormed the US Capitol.

Huge lines curved through the streets near the White House and Washington Monument as supporters hoped to catch a glimpse of the presidential candidate. Maggie Moetell, 55, a rally attendee from Falls Church, VA, said it was “the most important thing I’ve ever done in my life. This is democracy in the making. It’s history. It’s amazing to see all these people here.”

Harris reminded supporters of Trump’s actions on that fateful day, focusing on the former president’s authoritarian leanings, calling him a “petty tyrant” and “wannabe dictator.”

She contrasted herself to the “chaos” of the first Trump administration and promised to compromise with those who disagreed with her and to work for all Americans. She pledged to preserve Obamacare while cutting taxes for middle-class households. Meanwhile, she warned that Trump’s tariff plan would effectively amount to taxes paid by consumers. Harris also pledged to have Medicare cover home health care for the elderly to help alleviate the burden on sandwich-generation caregivers of both young families and their parents.

Noting that one in three American women live in states with Trump abortion bans in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, Harris promised to sign a bill to restore reproductive freedom nationwide.

Sanjana Shashikumar, 24, who moved to Washington, DC, from New York, said she was happy to attend because she has a lot of anxiety about the election. “I really like the idea of being around people who are also voting for Harris.” As an Indian American woman, she said – while noting it wasn’t the primary reason for her support – that “to be able to see an Indian American in that White House would be really, really awesome.” Shashikumar said women’s access to abortion and right to privacy were important to her and that as a nuclear regulatory analyst she cares about renewables and green energy — and is encouraged that Harris is pro-nuclear.

Harris during her speech also acknowledged concerns about border controls and promised to pass the bipartisan border bill that Trump urged Republicans to block. But she also acknowledged that the US is “a nation of immigrants,” and pledged to support legal immigrants.

Brian C, 25, from Maryland, says our allies in Ukraine weigh heavily on his mind, pointing to the decline in bipartisan support for sending US support to Kyiv. “I have so many friends and family in Ukraine,” he said, contending that the US shouldn't "just leave them to be invaded.”

Harris has been criticized on the campaign trail for not addressing her foreign policy plans more fully, but Brian says he’s confident in Harris’ approach to global affairs.

“I will strengthen, not surrender, America’s global leadership,” Harris told the crowd. “And I will stand with our friends because I know our alliances keep American people safe and make America stronger and more secure.”

She said we must ensure that the “US remains, as we must forever be, a champion of liberty around the world.”

Meanwhile, Trump held a rally in majority-Latino Allentown, Pennsylvania, home to 34,000 Puerto Ricans. He asked Pennsylvanians to tell Harris “You’re fired” at the polls, and at a panel earlier in the day said “no president has done more for Puerto Rico than I have.”

The comments and rally come as the Trump campaign tries to walk back racist comments against Puerto Ricans made by comedian Tony Hinchliffe at his Madison Square Garden rally on Sunday. The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College estimates that 3.1% of voters in Pennsylvania are Puerto Rican, a key demographic to lose in a swing state that is likely to be decided by just a few thousand votes.

Meanwhile, Harris is trying to “lose by less” in deep-red areas of Pennsylvania by holding events in universities in rural parts of the state.

Barbara Bush, daughter of Republican President George W. Bush, endorsed Harris on Tuesday, joining her father’s former vice president, Dick Cheney, and his daughter, former Congresswoman Liz Cheney, in backing the Democratic nominee for president.

Beyond winning key Republican endorsements, polls are showing that Harris is gaining with Black men, a group that Trump’s campaign has tried hard to court this election cycle. In an NPR poll of younger black men, nearly 60% said they backed Harris.