Harris to make closing argument speech at the Ellipse 1 week before Election Day
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Vice President Harris speaks at a campaign event on Oct. 18 in Grand Rapids, Mi. Photo: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images
Vice President Kamala Harris is set to make her closing argument of the 2024 presidential campaign during a speech next Tuesday on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., per her campaign.
Why it matters: Speaking from the same location that former President Trump spoke on Jan. 6, 2021, before a violent mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, the VP in her final pitch will seek to contrast her vision for the White House with Trump's, presenting him as a threat to the republic.
- It will be one of the most important speeches of her political career — exactly one week before Election Day, with polling showing the Democratic presidential candidate and her Republican rival locked in a dead-heat.
Zoom in: Campaign advisers think that the symbolic location will serve as a reminder of the violent day in history on Jan. 6, 2021 — and be an effective backdrop for Harris to argue that there is a way forward for the country.
- The "New Way Forward" message has been a consistent theme of Harris' campaign since she took over the Democratic presidential ticket in historic fashion.
- Campaign advisers say that Harris, a former prosecutor, views the speech as her final chance to convince the jury of voters who will determine the election.
The big picture: Harris in the final stretch of her bid for the White House has increased efforts to cast Trump as a threat to the nation and unfit for office.
- Earlier on Wednesday, Harris, speaking from the Naval Observatory, called the Republican presidential candidate "increasingly unhinged and unstable" and warned of his desire for "unchecked power."
- Her comments came after a New York Times report on Tuesday with former Trump White House chief of staff John Kelly's allegation that the former president on multiple occasions praised Adolf Hitler and said the Nazi leader "did some good things."
What to watch: Harris is zeroing in on the crucial "Blue Wall" states and other battlegrounds that could propel her to the White House in her campaign's final days.
- She will campaign with former President Obama in Georgia on Thursday and former first lady Michelle Obama in Michigan on Saturday. Harris will be in Pennsylvania on Sunday.
Go deeper: Harris tweaks strategy to call out Trump as a threat
