Jimmy Williams
Vice President Kamala Harris is set to deliver a pivotal “closing argument” speech in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, just one week before Election Day. The address will take place at the Ellipse, the site where former President Donald Trump spoke shortly before the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. The event signals Harris’ direct appeal to voters to turn the page on Trump and choose a new path forward for the country, according to a senior campaign official.
The location of Harris’ address is significant, as it was the very site where Trump rallied his supporters on January 6, 2021, falsely claiming the 2020 election was “rigged” and urging the crowd to march to the Capitol to prevent Congress from certifying the results. During that speech, Trump famously told his supporters, “You’ll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength.”
The violent aftermath of that day, which resulted in over 140 police officers being injured, has become a defining moment of Trump’s presidency. Harris’ campaign seeks to juxtapose this turbulent period with her vision of a more hopeful and united future for the country.
“This is a moment to offer a new direction—one that turns the page on the chaos and division of Trump’s presidency,” said a senior campaign official. “Vice President Harris will outline the sharp differences between what she offers and the dangers of another Trump term.”
The rally, which is expected to draw nearly 8,000 people, will serve as one of Harris’ largest campaign events in the nation’s capital. The event’s permit application, obtained by NBC News, shows that the Harris campaign initially considered holding the rally on the National Mall but later chose the Ellipse due to its symbolic significance.
The campaign’s move comes as both Harris and Trump intensify their efforts to sway voters in battleground states in the lead-up to Election Day. Harris has spent recent weeks making a case for her leadership and contrasting her policies with Trump’s, including on issues like economic relief, abortion rights, and democracy protection.
Trump has continued to defend his actions surrounding the January 6 events, even referring to it as a “day of love” because of the large crowd he drew. Harris’ speech aims to directly confront Trump’s interpretation of that day and provide a forward-looking message for the American people.
The speech is seen as a key moment in Harris’ bid to solidify her case as a unifying leader capable of steering the country away from the divisions of the Trump era. As the vice president looks to energize voters, her address will underscore her message of optimism, democracy, and a new path forward.
Both Harris and Trump have been crisscrossing battleground states in the lead-up to Election Day, but the Ellipse event stands out as a direct contrast to Trump’s legacy, set in the very location of one of his most controversial moments in office.