Vice President Kamala Harris stood before a massive crowd near the White House on Tuesday, urging Americans to turn the page on division and to look forward with hope. Just a week before the nation’s pivotal Election Day, Harris used the White House as a backdrop to emphasize her call for unity and progress, in direct contrast to her opponent, Donald Trump, whose rhetoric she described as sowing “chaos and division.”
“This is someone who is unstable, obsessed with revenge, consumed with grievance, and out for unchecked power,” Harris told the crowd, warning against what she sees as Trump’s dangerous ambitions. She added, “America, I am here tonight to say: that’s not who we are.”
A Record-Breaking Rally Draws Thousands
Harris’s rally drew an overwhelming turnout, with her campaign estimating an attendance of 75,000—a number that underscored the high stakes and enthusiasm driving voters on both sides. As crowds gathered from the Ellipse park near the White House all the way to the Washington Monument, Harris framed the election as a choice between freedom and division. She spoke from behind bulletproof screens, next to signs that read “Freedom,” underscoring her message of inclusivity and democratic values.
“This election is a choice between a country rooted in freedom for every American or one ruled by chaos and division,” Harris stated, reflecting on the events of January 6, 2021, when Trump addressed supporters in the same spot before many stormed the Capitol. “He sent an armed mob to the Capitol to overturn the will of the people,” she reminded the crowd.
An Optimistic Vision of a United America
While Harris opened with a pointed critique of Trump, she soon pivoted to an optimistic vision of America’s future, encouraging supporters to visualize the next chapter for the country. She highlighted her plans to support middle-class Americans, improve health care access, and protect reproductive rights. Her call for reproductive rights protection earned one of the evening’s biggest cheers when she declared that “the government should not be telling women what to do with their bodies.”
In her address, Harris acknowledged the concerns of voters who see her as an extension of President Joe Biden, who stepped out of the race earlier this year. “My presidency will be different because the challenges we face are different,” she promised.
“Cleansing” the Memory of January 6
The rally was more than just a political gathering for Harris supporters; for many, it served as a symbolic moment of healing. “I think of this as a cleansing for what happened on January 6,” said Mitzi Maxwell, 69, who traveled from Florida with her mother to witness what she described as “the love and passion and excitement” of Harris’s campaign.
Many attendees lined up for hours to hear Harris speak, with some waiting over seven hours, underscoring the energy and momentum of her campaign. Harris’s rally, one of the largest of the election season, was a direct challenge to Trump’s famed crowd-pulling power, as both candidates enter the final days neck-and-neck in the polls.
Trump Faces Fallout Over Controversial Rally Comments
As Harris rallied supporters in Washington, Trump was dealing with a new controversy surrounding his recent rally at Madison Square Garden, where a comedian made offensive comments about Puerto Rico, calling it a “floating island of garbage.” Trump distanced himself from the remark, saying, “probably… shouldn’t have been there,” but the backlash was swift. Biden entered the fray, referring to Trump’s rhetoric as “garbage” during a campaign call, though he later clarified that he meant Trump’s words, not his supporters.
“The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” Biden remarked, leading to criticism from Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance, who condemned the comments as “disgusting.”
Swing States in Focus as Election Day Approaches
Both candidates spent the past week rallying support in critical battleground states. Trump, facing backlash over the New York rally, took his campaign to blue-collar Allentown, Pennsylvania—a city with a significant Puerto Rican population. Harris, meanwhile, focused on framing the election as a choice for a brighter future while warning of potential instability if Trump refuses to accept the results as he suggested in previous elections.
With fears of election-related chaos hanging over the nation, Harris’s final argument aims to reassure Americans that democracy and unity can prevail, while urging them to cast their votes for a vision of an inclusive, hopeful America.
