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

In her closing pitch to voters, Kamala Harris framed Donald Trump's grievance politics as an obstacle to progress for ordinary people.

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.”