Harris’s closing argument

Harris offered her closing argument at the Ellipse in Washington DC. Here I have gone through the transcript of her speech trying to extract the main points. At 3000 words and just under 40 minutes Harris delivered more substance in half the time compared to Trump in his closing argument.

Of the 27 thoughts I captured 8 were about her policy ideas (middle class tax cut, cap drug costs, address housing problems, child tax credit, home care for seniors, protect social security, reinstate reproductive choice, immigration), 6 were characterizing Trump, and 13 were framing the election.

Everything in my list is in the order these ideas appeared in her speech. Most ideas are summarized but a few are direct quotes as indicated.

• “This election is more than just a choice between two parties and two different candidates. It is a choice about whether we have a country rooted in freedom for every American or ruled by chaos and division.”
• We know who Donald Trump is. He stood here and sent a mob to the Capitol that injured 140 Capitol Police and when he was told they wanted to hang the vice president he said “so what.”
• He’s focused on his problems and has an enemies list for his second term.
• “Donald Trump has spent a decade trying to keep the American people divided and afraid of each other. That is who he is. But, America, I am here tonight to say that is not who we are. That is not who we are! That is not who we are!”
• Democracy doesn’t mean we have to agree in everything but just because we disagree doesn’t make us enemies.
• It’s time for a new generation of leadership.
• I know many of you didn’t feel like you know me.
• I’ve spent most of my career outside of DC so I know not all good ideas come from here.
• “There’s something about people being treated unfairly or overlooked that, frankly, just gets to me.”
• “I’ll be honest with you, I’m not perfect. I make mistakes. But here’s what I promise you: I will always listen to you, even if you don’t vote for me. I will always tell you the truth, even if it is difficult to hear. I will work every day to build consensus and reach compromise to get things done.”
• I’ve been the Vice President but my administration will be different because we are facing different problems from four years ago. We had to end the pandemic and rebuild the economy. Now we need to lower costs.
• Trump wants to have a 20% tariff which will cost regular Americans thousands of dollars in higher prices.
• Trump wants to give tax cuts to billionaires but I want to give tax cuts to working class and middle class Americans.
• I want to cap prescription drug costs.
• I will fight to help first time home buyers with down payment assistance and work with the private sector and local governments to get more houses built.
• I want to help parents have the resources to raise their children by increasing the child tax credit.
• I want to have home care covered by Medicare so families don’t have to deplete their savings to get Medicaid to cover it.
• I want to protect social security.
• Trump got Supreme Court Justices to overturn Roe v Wade and now many states have bans that have led to women dying. The government should not be telling women and doctors what to do.
• We need to solve immigration including securing our border with the bill Donald Trump killed and providing a path to citizenship for productive members of society.
• “As Commander in Chief, I will make sure America has the strongest, most lethal fighting force in the world.”
• “I will always honor, never denigrate the service and sacrifice of our troops and their families and fulfill our sacred obligation to care for them. I will strengthen, not surrender, America’s global leadership, and I will stand with our friends because I know that our alliances keep American people safe and make America stronger and more secure.”
• “Here is my pledge to you: I pledge to seek common ground and common sense solutions to make your life better. I am not looking to score political points. I am looking to make progress. I pledge to listen to experts, to those who will be impacted by the decisions I make, and to people who disagree with me. Unlike Donald Trump, I don’t believe people who disagree with me are the enemy; He wants to put them in jail, I’ll give them a seat at the table. I pledge to you to approach my work with the joy and optimism that comes from making a difference in people’s lives.  And I pledge to be a president for all Americans, and to always put country above party and self.”
• I’ve lived the promise of America
• I see the promise of America in young people, in women fighting for reproductive freedom, in Republicans putting country over party.
• “America, I know the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us. I know it, and that’s why I am in this race to fight for the people, just like I always have.”
• “The United States of America is the greatest idea humanity ever devised, a nation big enough to encompass all our dreams, strong enough to withstand any fracture or fissure between us, and fearless enough to imagine a future of possibilities. So America, let us reach for that future. Let us fight for this beautiful country we love.”