On Site Of Jan. 6 Rally, Harris Attacks ‘Tyrant’ Trump — Over Much More Than Authoritarianism

WASHINGTON — Standing at a podium at the same park where former President Donald Trump whipped up the mob that would attack the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Vice President Kamala Harris promised to protect democracy not just for its own sake, but so Americans can afford good lives and have the freedom to control their own bodies.

Amid a heated debate among Democrats over just how much Harris should play to fears about Trump’s authoritarian instincts, Harris found a way, in a speech billed as her closing argument a week before Election Day, to depict Trump’s focus on personal grievances and retribution as both a threat to the country’s future and an obstacle to the actual work of serving the public.

“In less than 90 days, either Donald Trump or I will be in the Oval Office,” Harris told a crowd that her campaign estimated was 75,000 strong. “On Day 1, 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. And I will work with everyone — Democrats, Republicans and independents — to help Americans who are working hard and still struggling to get ahead.”

Harris conjured the image of her single mother sitting at their yellow Formica table with a cup of tea as she went through the bills. It’s an experience Harris shares with many other Americans, and one she said would inform her priorities in office.

“Donald Trump’s answer to you is the same as before: another trillion dollars in tax cuts for billionaires and big corporations,” Harris said. “And this time, he will pay for it with a 20% national sales tax on everything you buy that is imported, clothes, food, toys, cell phones: a Trump sales tax that would cost the average family nearly $4,000 a year.”

Trump would also add to families’ health care costs by repealing the Affordable Care Act, she continued, before setting up one of her stump speech’s trademark lines: “We are not going back,” she said, prompting the crowd to break out in chants of “not going back.”

“Donald Trump will deliver tax cuts to his billionaire donors,” Harris added. “I will deliver tax cuts to working people and the middle class. I will make sure you have a chance to not just get by but get ahead, because I believe in honoring the dignity of work.”

Harris then went through a detailed list of her economic policy priorities: building millions of new homes; providing $25,000 in aid for first-time home buyers; creating a $6,000 child tax credit for the parents of newborns; and expanding Medicare to cover long-term care for seniors.

The setting and scenery of Harris’ speech aimed to give her the patriotic high ground over Trump while helping voters picture her as the commander-in-chief. Harris spoke on a large stage on the south side of the White House, with its lit portico visible directly behind her. Two large signs that bore the word “FREEDOM” stood at either side. The sea of people listening to her remarks stretched all the way down to the National Monument, which was surrounded by thousands of Harris supporters and some protesters of Israel’s war in Gaza.

To drive the point home, Harris portrayed herself and her agenda truer heirs to the American Revolution than Trump.

“Nearly 250 years ago, America was born when we wrested freedom from a petty tyrant,” Harris said. “Across the generations, Americans have preserved that freedom, expanded it, and in so doing, proved to the world that a government of, by, and for the people is strong and can endure.”

“They did not struggle, sacrifice, and lay down their lives, only to see us cede our fundamental freedoms, only to see us submit to the will of another petty tyrant,” she added. “The United States of America is not a vessel for the schemes of wannabe dictators. The United States of America is the greatest idea humanity ever devised.”

Throughout her remarks, Harris emphasized her interest in soliciting ideas from Republicans and other people with whom she disagrees. She has already promised to appoint a Republican to her cabinet, something Biden did not do.

“America, we know what Donald Trump has in mind: more chaos, more division and policies that help those at the very top and hurt everyone else. I offer a different path. And I ask for your vote,” she said in her concluding pitch. “And here is my pledge to you: I pledge to seek common ground and common sense solutions to make your lives better.”

Trump held a rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday evening at roughly the same time as Harris’ speech.

Trump has elicited criticism for comments made by the stand-up comic Tony Hinchcliffe at his Sunday rally in Madison Square Garden. Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean,” prompting a rare disavowal from the Trump campaign.

Allentown is a majority-Latino city with a large Puerto Rican community. A small group of protesters amassed outside of the building where Trump spoke on Tuesday, among them people displaying Puerto Rican flags.

The Trump campaign responded to Harris’ speech by reiterating its argument that she has already had the chance to prove her governing abilities and must now answer for the Biden administration’s record.

“Kamala’s first day in office was over 1,300 days ago, and she has spent the past four years working hand-in-hand with Joe Biden to destroy our country — but now, she is lying about her record because she has zero policy solutions to offer,” Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “As for President Trump, his closing argument to the American people is simple: Kamala broke it; he will fix it.”

In keeping with the spirit of the evening at Harris’s speech on the Ellipse, several rally attendees spoke about the stakes of the race for the country ― and their concerns about a Trump victory.

Olivia Troye, a former aide to ex-Vice President Mike Pence who has spoken out against Trump, told HuffPost she “absolutely” feared retribution if he returns to the White House next year.

“It is a very surreal, emotional moment one week out,” Troye, who served as a homeland security advisor in the Trump administration, said Tuesday. “When I’m looking at the election being so close, I’m wondering what the day after looks like and I’m having the tough conversations with my family,” she added. “My friends are worried, my neighbors are worried. They’re wondering what they can do. It’s definitely more real now.”

Troye is a former career intelligence professional who also served under President George W. Bush. In August, she spoke at the Democratic National Convention and warned that Trump is unfit for office.

“I’m seeing a lot of movement on the ground and a lot of positive energy and support for Kamala Harris, especially from Republicans and independents,” she said Tuesday, adding that she hoped there is “a silent majority” in support for electing Harris.

Earlier Tuesday, U.S. Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, who was on duty during the Jan. 6 attack, reflected on the symbolism of Harris’ speech at the Ellipse.

“Just think of the last presidential address here,” he told HuffPost. “I’m just really glad that she’s doing it here, kind of like reclaiming it as, ‘Hey, what happened then? We don’t accept it, we don’t tolerate, and we’re not going back to that.’”

Dunn endured racist abuse while protecting the Capitol from a mob of Trump supporters and has been outspoken about Trump’s culpability in the riot and efforts to whitewash the events of that day.

Other Harris supporters at the rally were optimistic about her chances, but still worried about the country and a possible second Trump term.

“If she doesn’t win I don’t know that I would recognize the county anymore,” said Erin Denney, a 42-year-old from Maryland. “We will lose a lot of our rights. Even the people who don’t believe will lose their rights will lose their rights.”

Denney also likes that Harris has never referred to “anyone who lives in the country as an enemy of the country.”

Francise Dyson, a 58-year-old D.C. native, said it was important to be at the Ellipse, “in contrast to the people who were here on Jan. 6.”

She added of the vibe of the rally, “This is America right here. It’s such a huge diversity, and everybody is here in love. It’s a joyful place.”

William Thayer, a 69-year-old from Maryland, agreed. “It really is America. This is what Donald Trump doesn’t like, what we have here. Because he didn’t grow up with it.”