WASHINGTON – Vice President Kamala Harris is set to remind Americans on Tuesday about the storming of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump, an event aimed at reversing his electoral defeat when he was last in office.

She will speak at the Ellipse, the same spot where Trump addressed the crowd just before the insurrection on January 6. This park is situated between the White House and the National Mall.

“This location highlights the critical choice in this election: one candidate striving for unchecked authority in Donald Trump, versus another more focused on genuine solutions for the nation,” stated Harris’s campaign chair, Jen O’Malley Dillon, during a briefing for reporters about her upcoming address.

O’Malley Dillon elaborated, saying that the setting will provide a “striking visualization of perhaps the most notorious instance of Donald Trump misusing his influence, prioritizing personal interests, fostering division, chaos, and inciting a mob to hold onto his power and put himself above the nation.”

With only a week before the elections, the competition appears to be deadlocked, with both candidates neck and neck in crucial battleground states. As both campaigns strive to connect with voters, they have been organizing significant events.

Over the weekend, Harris campaigned alongside Michelle Obama, who delivered a powerful critique of the former president. Trump faced backlash over his own “closing argument” at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, which was marred by offensive comments — including bipartisan criticism regarding remarks about Puerto Rico made by a comedian who performed at the event.

In what her team is calling her “closing argument,” Harris will present voters with two options this Election Day: one path dedicated to serving the American public and another rooted in grievances and retribution, according to campaign officials.

They anticipate up to 20,000 attendees at the address, where Harris will reiterate her commitment to prioritize the nation’s needs over those of the Democratic Party and herself, while asserting that Trump would create an “enemies list” targeting anyone opposing him.

Additionally, she plans to discuss her strategies to reduce housing, grocery, and healthcare costs, as confirmed by her campaign aides.

After rising to the top of the Democratic ticket earlier this summer, Harris dedicated much of her time to reintroducing herself to voters, unveiling policy proposals that she plans to reiterate during her address.

She has also stressed that Trump would seek to limit access to reproductive rights. At a rally in Houston with Beyonce, where women’s health was the main theme, she delivered her biggest speech to date, which attracted an audience of 30,000.

On Monday, she visited Ann Arbor, Michigan, and she is gearing up for a whirlwind tour of key battleground states this week.

Recently, she has intensified her rhetoric, labeling Trump a “fascist” who poses a threat to the country, a claim supported by his former White House chief of staff, John Kelly. During a town hall event on CNN, Harris concurred with this statement.

In response to Harris’s comments, Trump accused her of being “disgusting” and referred to her as a fascist during a rally in Atlanta on Monday. “This kind of outrageous language has led to two assassination attempts in the past three months,” he claimed.

Harris courting anti-Trump Republicans

Some of Harris’s supporters have refrained from labeling Trump as a fascist, opting instead to emphasize abortion rights and economic issues in the campaign’s closing days. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker underscored these points during a canvassing launch in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where Harris’s volunteers were set to engage with voters.

“Let me begin by saying that everything we value is threatened by a former president who is racist, misogynist, homophobic, and xenophobic and wishes to reclaim the White House,” Pritzker expressed.

He later remarked, “In my opinion, discussing democracy isn’t the main concern for most voters in this election. What they care about more is how this will affect their finances, their job prospects, and their capacity to pay their bills.”

Waukesha is among several Republican-leaning counties near Milwaukee where the Harris campaign is attempting to energize anti-Trump Republicans. Harris campaigned in the area last week alongside former GOP Representative Liz Cheney. On Monday, Walz held an event there with the city’s mayor, Shawn Reilly, a longtime Republican who transitioned to independent after January 6 and recently pledged his support for Harris.

In the 2020 election, nearly 60% of voters in the county supported Trump, while 39% voted for Harris.

Harris’ campaign is aiming to reduce Trump’s advantage in key areas, particularly in suburban regions, by consistently messaging about his dwindling support from former officials in his administration and highlighting his role in the appointment of Supreme Court justices who favored overturning Roe v. Wade.

In her address, Harris will focus on suburban women, independents, and moderate Republicans, as stated by O’Malley Dillon. She noted that these demographics distanced themselves from the GOP during the 2022 midterms due to abortion-related concerns.

“These voters are likely to be more engaged and aware of current events, actively processing the information presented to them,” O’Malley Dillon mentioned. “They have consistently been our target audience.”

O’Malley Dillon also highlighted that Harris is set to reach out to undecided voters, including some who may reconsider their stance following Trump’s controversial rally in Madison Square Garden that included racist remarks. She pointed out a younger generation that has only recently begun to follow the election.

Uphold democracy, ‘then we can address other concerns’

As the Nov. 5 election approaches, voters nationwide are increasingly anxious about the state of democracy, identifying it as a critical issue.

Colleen Schulz, vice chair of the Waukesha County Democratic Party, emphasized that safeguarding democracy and upholding the Constitution is her primary focus for the election.

The 61-year-old expressed that while she previously prioritized access to abortion and women’s health care, along with environmental issues, ensuring democratic integrity now takes precedence.

“Protecting our democracy and the Constitution must come first; only then can we address other matters,” Schulz said, during an event attended with Minn. Gov. Tim Walz, who is the Democratic vice presidential nominee. “The urgent issue we face is defending our Constitution.”

While the economy remains a top concern for voters, a Gallup poll indicates that 49% of voters consider democracy within the U.S. as “extremely” important, with another 36% stating it is “very” important in relation to their voting decisions.

Angela Mercadel, who waited for over three hours to see Harris in Houston, Texas, expressed her alarm about Trump’s rhetoric regarding an “enemy within” and his intent to target political opponents.

“We need a leader who can unify this country,” she stated.