WASHINGTON – Standing before the illuminated White House, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris appealed to undecided voters on Tuesday night to “turn the page” on Donald Trump, aiming to reshape the narrative surrounding the Ellipse, the site of the Republican’s Jan. 6 speech that preceded the Capitol insurrection.

During her speech, Harris emphasized her vision of unity and optimism for America, criticizing Trump for his role in creating division during his presidency.

“For too long, America has been plagued by division, chaos, and distrust. We must not forget that things can be different,” Harris stated. “Let’s stop blaming each other and instead unite. It’s time to move past the drama, the conflict, the fear, and the division.”

Speaking to a crowd that her campaign estimated at 75,000, she declared: “We need a new generation of leadership in America, and I am prepared to provide that leadership.”

With Election Day on Nov. 5 approaching, Harris and Trump have exchanged barbs while traveling the country to rally their bases in a race that remains statistically close. Both candidates are making push efforts to engage voters through high-profile events like Trump’s controversial Sunday rally at Madison Square Garden and Harris’ speech at the Ellipse.

Throughout the campaign, Trump has blamed Harris for rising inflation and high prices, also criticizing her for the Biden administration’s immigration policies, pointing to the increased number of migrants arriving in the U.S.

In a prepared statement on Tuesday, Trump’s campaign criticized Harris’ address as “dark, angry, and negative, reflecting her desperation.”

“While Kamala stirs division, President Trump is focusing on key voter issues such as improving the economy, securing borders, safeguarding Americans’ freedoms, and revitalizing America’s global strength,” the campaign added.

Harris tailored her speech mostly for Americans watching at home, especially those who may be undecided about voting. She recognized that many in attendance might have already voted.

Addressing those who haven’t voted yet, she urged, “We know Donald Trump for who he is—he stood right here nearly four years ago, sending an armed mob to the Capitol to overturn the people’s choice in a fair election, one he knew he lost.”

She promised voters a distinct alternative if elected on Nov. 5, expressing, “My presidency will be different because the challenges we face today are different.” She highlighted that while the focus four years ago was on combating the pandemic and economic recovery, the current challenge is managing rising costs that existed even before the pandemic.

While the vice president has faced questions about how she would differ from the current administration, she has often refrained from directly contrasting herself with Biden.

Harris highlighted her plans to lower costs for Americans, including implementing a federal ban on price gouging, capping insulin prices, and supporting first-time homebuyers.

With just a week left until the elections, Harris admitted she’s still working to introduce herself to voters who may be unfamiliar with her.

While Harris promised to guide the country in a new direction, remarks made earlier by Biden on the same day overshadowed her speech.

In response to a comedian’s racist remarks at a Trump rally, which referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage,” President Biden expressed during a virtual event with Voto Latino: “The only trash I see floating around are his supporters – his – his attack on Latinos is inexcusable and un-American,” as reported in a transcript from the White House.

Biden’s comments led to swift criticism from Republican legislators and Trump, who held his own rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on the same day as Harris’s event. Trump described Biden’s comments as “awful,” drawing parallels to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 remarks about some of his supporters being “deplorables.”

Biden later clarified in a post on X that he was criticizing “the hateful comments about Puerto Rico made by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage.”

‘Taking Back’ the Ellipse from January 6

Street vendors circulated through the crowd selling t-shirts, buttons, and various merchandise backing the Democratic candidate. The area was lively with music and chatter as attendees awaited entry to the Ellipse. Many wore clothing promoting Harris’s campaign, while others had shirts displaying slogans like “Vote” and “Black Lives Matter,” and some even dressed as Harris’s iconic Converse shoes.

Inside, a DJ played upbeat songs including Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” and Jennifer Lopez’s “Let’s Get Loud,” both of whom have publicly endorsed the vice president. The DJ also included a classic from the Trump campaign: the Village People’s Y.M.C.A.

Volunteers distributed various snacks such as cotton candy, pop tarts, and fruit snacks, and by the end of the event, they had extra cotton candy to hand out.

Daraja Carroll, 28, who lives just a few blocks from the White House, scooted to the event with her friend, Sharlie Goodson, 29. Like Harris, Carroll is originally from California, where Harris began her career as district attorney in San Francisco. Carroll aspires to become an attorney general someday.

“I just couldn’t stay on my couch,” she shared. “I am a black female attorney. I am a descendant of enslaved people. I am a history enthusiast who understands my family’s past…There are countless reasons why I came today to support her. I felt I had to be here.”

Four years ago, Carroll participated in a block party at St. John’s Lafayette Square church – the site Trump cleared during a Black Lives Matter demonstration in 2020 after Biden’s election win. She recalled that they were reclaiming that space then.

Now, she believes that Harris is reclaiming the Ellipse.

“With the disrespect shown towards Black history in this city, we are here to take it back,” she stated. “Being in D.C., knowing that my ancestors helped build this, and for her to stand on this stage in front of these historic buildings built by them, disrespected by these racist individuals, is significant. We must reclaim it.”

Tosha Taylor from Hughesville, Md., remarked that Harris’s rally presents a “stark contrast” to the Trump rally from four years ago. Taylor, a veteran of the Air Force and Army, characterized Harris’s event as one filled with “solidarity and love for the country and genuine patriotism.”

In contrast, she described Trump’s January 6 event as “filled with hate.”

“These are entirely different events,” said the 53-year-old. “If you compare the two, you see unity, joy, and patriotism here. The other was anti-government, attempting to overthrow our system, filled with hate, violence, and chaos from individuals pretending to be patriots.”

Suzy Wagner and her husband, Eric, feel that Harris effectively articulated why voters should back her.

“Everything she presented stood in direct opposition to his narrative and the fear he has been spreading,” noted Suzy Wagner, 54, from Arlington, Va. “We’re just done with it.”

(This story has been updated with a new photo.)