Kamala Harris to deliver campaign's 'closing argument' at DC Ellipse—site of Trump's Save America rally on J6

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is set to speak at the Ellipse in Washington, DC Tuesday, one week before the presidential election. The park, which sits between the White House and the National Mall, was where 2024 GOP presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump held his Save America rally on January 6, 2021.

A senior campaign official told Politico that Harris’ speech is expected to stress her "democracy-focused argument" and offer a contrast to Trump. Campaign advisors believe the Ellipse location will show a visual juxtaposition between the candidates.



Harris is expected to urge Americans to put the Trump era behind them in the speech and showcase how her presidency would differ from Trump’s. The rally will follow others with former President Barack Obama in Georgia on Thursday, a rally focused on abortion in Texas on Friday, and a Sunday event with former First Lady Michelle Obama in Pennsylvania.

During her sit-down interview with Fox News’ Brett Baier, Harris said in response to a question about how she would be turning the page on an administration she’s second in command of that she would be "Turning the page from the last decade in which we have been burdened with the kind of rhetoric coming from Donald Trump that has been designed and implemented to divide our country and have Americans literally point fingers at each other."

On January 6, 2021, Trump spoke from a stage on the Ellipse at his Save America rally. He spoke on the results of the 2020 election, in which Joe Biden was declared the winner, and told the audience, "We're gathered together in the heart of our nation's capital for one very, very basic and simple reason: To save our democracy."

"As this enormous crowd shows, we have truth and justice on our side. We have a deep and enduring love for America in our hearts. We love our country," he later added. "We have overwhelming pride in this great country and we have it deep in our souls. Together, we are determined to defend and preserve government of the people, by the people and for the people."

In the wake of January 6, Trump has faced prosecution from the Biden-Harris administration. Questions of presidential immunity in the case landed in the Supreme Court, with the high court ruling that presidents have immunity for official actions, but not unofficial ones. The case was handed back down to Judge Tanya Chutkan to consider what Trump did that falls under official or unofficial actions.