Two closing arguments show clear choice between Trump and Harris

By: STEVE PEOPLES, AP National Political Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — In the shadow of the White House, seven days before the final votes are cast in the 2024 election. Kamala Harris He vowed to put country before party and warned that Donald Trump was obsessed with revenge and his own personal interests.

Less than 48 hours before entering Madison Square GardenTrump called his Democratic rival “a train wreck that destroys everything in its path.” Her onstage allies called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” and made a false claim that Harris, a former prosecutor and senator who is seeking to become the first woman elected president, started her career as a prostitute.

The dueling closing arguments, held two nights and 200 miles apart, neatly outlined the choice U.S. voters will face on November 5 when they weigh two very different visions of leadership and America’s future.

Trump’s raucous rally, filled with vulgar and racist slurs, highlighted the ugly elements of his coalition. But other parts underlined the former businessman’s appeal as someone vowing to fix the economy and borders and as a political outsider willing to challenge any conventions despite the risks.

Harris, vice president for the past four years, chose a more formal setting — the grassy Ellipse near the White House — to underscore the gravity of this moment in American history and the threat Trump poses to democracy. Trump faced a huge audience on Jan. 6, 2021, where he addressed thousands of his loyalists before storming the U.S. Capitol on one of the darkest days in modern history.

But beyond reminding voters of the danger Trump poses to U.S. democracy, Harris’ remarks were designed to highlight her opponent’s record of prioritizing her personal interests over those of the country.

“For a decade, Donald Trump has tried to keep the American people divided and afraid of each other. Here is that person. But America, I’m here tonight to say: This is not who we are,” Harris said. “I promise to be a president for all Americans, to always put country above party and self.”

Senior counsel Jen O’Malley Dillon noted that Harris’ closing argument was designed to reach a narrow segment of undecided voters; Among them are many moderate Republicans.

“We know there are a lot of voters out there still trying to decide who to support or whether to vote,” O’Malley Dillon said. “And this race is extremely close. We talk about it as a margin of error race. We know it will be closed in this final week.”

Trump’s team is focusing more on mobilizing his partisan base and reaching sparse voters across the political spectrum who are disappointed with the direction of the country and looking for change.

Still, Trump has framed his comments in recent days with a simple question that cuts across political lines, asking voters whether they are better off now than they were at the end of his first term four years ago. While the country was still in the throes of the pandemic when Trump left office, polls show that most voters are dissatisfied with the direction of the country today.

Trump has vowed to carry out the largest deportation operation in US history and impose broad tariffs to raise revenue and boost American manufacturing.

Defying criticism from even some Republicans, Trump on Tuesday called the Madison Square Garden event “a love fest” and did not address comments by pro-Trump comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.” Hinchcliffe also made derogatory jokes about Black people, other Latinos, Palestinians and Jews in his routine before Trump took the stage.

Trump, family members, top lawmakers and billionaire Elon Musk, TV psychologist Dr. Phil” McGraw and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. “It was truly love for our country.”