On Tuesday, Kamala Harris struck an emotional chord with Democratic supporters at Ellipse in Washington, DC. The Vice President set the state at her penultimate public appearance before a new president is sworn into the Oval Office. She reminded supporters of the bleak days the nation would weather if former president Donald Trump ascended to power.
“On day one, if elected, Donald Trump would walk into that office with an enemies list. When elected, I will walk in with a to-do list full of priorities on what I will get done for the American people.”
Those who came before us did not struggle, sacrifice, and lay down their lives only to see us cede our fundamental freedoms.
On November 5, we each have the power to turn the page. pic.twitter.com/Q2uP4oTwwC
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) October 30, 2024
Vice President Harris stood on the foothills of the US Capitol, where Trump instigated supporters to “fight like hell” on January 6, 2021. “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,” Harris said. “This is someone who is unstable, obsessed with revenge, consumed with grievance, and out for unchecked power.”
Harris’ 30-minute address at Ellipse touched on key policy plans such as expanding the scope and reach of former President Johnson’s landmark Medicare program. The Vice President also reassured female supporters of her intention to restore progressive reproductive rights in the US. “Our democracy doesn’t require us to agree on everything. That’s not the American way,” Harris said. “We like a good debate. And the fact that someone disagrees with us does not make them ‘the enemy from within.’ They are family, neighbors, classmates, and.”
Kamala Harris stood firm on her resilient dedication to the American people, stating that her “presidency will be different because the challenges we face are different.” Harris added, “Our top priority as a nation four years ago was to end the pandemic and rescue the economy. Now our biggest challenge is to lower costs—costs that were rising even before the pandemic and that are still too high.”
As president, I will:
—Enact the first-ever federal ban on price gouging on groceries.
—Cap the price of insulin.
—And limit out-of-pocket prescription costs for all Americans— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) October 30, 2024
As she concluded her emotional speech at Ellipse, Harris spoke to her fellow immigrant Americans as the proud daughter of immigrant parents who became prosecutors.
“For as long as I can remember, I have always had an instinct to protect. There’s something about people being treated unfairly or overlooked that just gets to me,” Harris said. “It is what my mother instilled in me. A drive to hold accountable those who use their wealth or power to take advantage of other people.”
