Two closing arguments show the stark choice between Trump and Harris

NEW YORK (AP) — In nan protector of nan White House, 7 days earlier nan last votes of nan 2024 predetermination are cast, Kamala Harris vowed to put state complete statement and warned that Donald Trump is obsessed pinch revenge and his ain individual interests.

Less than 48 hours earlier wrong Madison Square Garden, Trump called his Democratic force “a trainwreck who has destroyed everything successful her path.” His friends connected shape branded Puerto Rico a “floating land of garbage” and said Harris, who would beryllium nan first female to beryllium president, had begun her profession arsenic a prostitute.

Two nights and 200 miles apart, nan dueling closing arguments outlined successful stark position nan prime U.S. voters look connected Nov. 5 erstwhile they will measurement 2 very different visions of activity and America’s future.

Trump’s raucous rally, marked by crude and racist insults, highlighted nan uglier elements of his coalition. But different parts of it underscored nan erstwhile businessman’s entreaty arsenic personification who vows to hole nan system and nan border, and arsenic a governmental outsider eager to defy immoderate and each conventions contempt nan risks.

Harris, nan vice president for nan past 4 years, chose a much general mounting — nan grassy Ellipse adjacent nan White House — to underscore nan seriousness of this infinitesimal successful American history and nan threat Trump poses to democracy. She faced a monolithic assemblage successful nan aforesaid spot wherever Trump addressed thousands of his loyalists connected Jan. 6, 2021, earlier they stormed nan U.S. Capitol successful 1 of nan darkest days of modern history.

But much than simply reminding voters of nan threat that Trump poses to U.S. democracy, Harris’ remarks were designed to item her opponent’s grounds of prioritizing his individual interests alternatively of nan nation’s.

“Donald Trump has spent a decade trying to support nan American group divided and acrophobic of each other. That’s who he is. But America, I americium present coming to say: That’s not who we are,” Harris said. “I promise to beryllium a president for each Americans — to ever put state supra statement and supra self.”

Senior advisor Jen O’Malley Dillon noted that Harris’ closing statement is designed to scope nan constrictive portion of undecided voters; galore mean Republicans are among them.

“We cognize that location are still a batch of voters retired location that are still trying to determine who to support — aliases whether to ballot astatine all,” O’Malley Dillon said. “And this title is highly close. We talk astir it arsenic a separator of correction race. We cognize it is going to beryllium closed retired successful this last week.”

Trump’s squad is much focused connected energizing his partisan guidelines and reaching infrequent voters crossed nan governmental spectrum who are disappointment by nan guidance of nan state and looking for change.

Still, Trump framed his comments successful caller days pinch a elemental mobility that cuts crossed governmental lines, asking voters whether they are amended disconnected now than they were 4 years agone astatine nan extremity of his first term. While nan federation was still successful nan throes of nan pandemic erstwhile Trump near office, polls bespeak that astir voters are unhappy pinch nan guidance of nan state today.

Trump has vowed to shape nan largest deportation cognition successful U.S. history and enforce wide tariffs to make gross and boost American manufacturing.

Ever defiant facing disapproval from moreover immoderate Republicans, Trump connected Tuesday called his Madison Square Garden arena “a lovefest” and did not reside nan comments of pro-Trump comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who called Puerto Rico a “floating land of garbage.” Hinchcliffe besides made demeaning jokes astir Black people, different Latinos, Palestinians and Jews successful his regular earlier Trump took nan stage.

“Nobody’s ever had emotion for illustration that,” Trump said of nan hours-long Sunday arena that featured his family members and high-level surrogates and supporters including billionaire Elon Musk, TV scientist “Dr. Phil” McGraw and erstwhile Fox News big Tucker Carlson. “It was really emotion for our country.”

The Republican erstwhile president connected Tuesday besides offered a acheronian appraisal of Harris’ leadership. He said that she “obliterated” nan nation’s borders, “decimated nan mediate class,” brought “bloodshed and squalor” to awesome cities and “unleashed warfare and chaos each complete nan world.”

“No personification who has caused truthful overmuch demolition and decease astatine location and overseas should ever beryllium allowed to beryllium nan president of nan United States,” Trump told dozens of supporters who gathered astatine his Florida estate.

Trump elder advisor Jason Miller said Trump has made clear his plans to hole nan economy, unafraid nan confederate separator and “improve people’s regular lives.”

“Kamala Harris hasn’t done immoderate of that,” he said. “It’s a connection of despair, individual attacks and thing from Harris aliases her run astir what they’re really going to do to thief Americans. So it’s a monolithic contrast.”

Harris has mostly moved connected from nan “joyful” campaigning style that defined her entranceway into nan statesmanlike title this summer. She pledged unity connected Tuesday night, but she besides formed Trump arsenic personification driven much by revenge and grievance than a committedness to nan people.

“This is personification who is unstable, obsessed pinch revenge, consumed pinch grievance and retired for unchecked power,” Harris said. “This is not a campaigner for president who is reasoning astir really to make your life better.”

She said straight to Republican voters astatine times and promised to perceive to those who didn’t ballot for her if elected. Harris antecedently said she would see a Republican successful her Cabinet.

“Unlike Donald Trump, I don’t judge group who disagree pinch maine are nan enemy,” she said. “He wants to put them successful jail. I’ll springiness them a spot astatine nan table.”

Heading into nan speech, nan Democrat’s run was alert of disapproval from her party’s far-left guidelines that she has been excessively focused connected courting mean Republican voters. They urged Harris to attraction much connected working-class priorities than nan threat Trump poses to U.S. democracy.

Ultimately, nan vice president’s reside was designed to necktie some issues together. She warned of Trump threatening antiauthoritarian norms and vowed to return action against precocious market prices and thief first-time location buyers pinch making a down payment.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a apical Harris ally, said voters tin “walk and chew gum astatine nan aforesaid clip — meaning they tin perceive an statement astir state and astir thing that affects their pocketbook. And I deliberation she is surely tin to prosecute some cases astatine nan aforesaid time.”

Sisters Michelle Detwiler and Renee Newell drove from Virginia to be Harris’ remarks astatine nan Ellipse.

“We some person daughters and we’re some present for them,” Newell said. Detwiler said nan location of nan arena is simply a “great counterpoint to nan imagery of Jan. 6. D.C. is simply a awesome metropolis for serene nationalist gatherings.

“We’re truthful gladsome to beryllium present and to acquisition nan joy,” she said.

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Associated Press writers Zeke Miller and Fatima Hussein successful Washington and Jill Colvin successful New York contributed.