STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Vice President Harris delivered a closing argument for her campaign yesterday.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
And she did it with the White House illuminated behind her.
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VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: 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.
MARTIN: Harris spoke from the same spot where then-President Trump stood on January 6, 2021. It's a place where he told his supporters to fight like hell and encouraged them to march to the Capitol, which they then stormed.
INSKEEP: NPR senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith was among tens of thousands of people who were at the Harris event last night. Tam, good morning.
TAMARA KEITH, BYLINE: Good morning.
INSKEEP: Thanks for joining us after working late. So obviously, a symbolic location, the Ellipse, as it's called, there near the White House. How did she use that location?
KEITH: She did touch on January 6 and themes of democracy, but she used it to pivot to talk about Trump's character. This was the largest rally crowd of her campaign by far, but the real intended audience wasn't there. It was in the swing states. Her campaign wanted to get people's attention, and this backdrop was stunning and, as you say, symbolic. Harris is trying to reach the small remaining sliver of undecided voters, as well as what I would call unmotivated voters. And this wasn't a typical stump speech or rah-rah rally speech. Her message at its core was about turning the page on the Trump era.
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HARRIS: America, for too long, we have been consumed with too much division, chaos and mutual distrust. And it can be easy then to forget a simple truth. It doesn't have to be this way.
INSKEEP: You know, when I was watching the speech last evening, I noticed several references to working with people who disagreed with her and not labeling them enemies.
KEITH: And there's an electoral reason for that. She was speaking directly to Republicans and independents who are done with Trump, but need a push to take that next step and vote for a Democrat. Think of the tens of thousands of people who voted for Nikki Haley in the Republican primary even after she dropped out of the race - and also, voters who haven't been paying close attention or have been actively avoiding politics, who still feel like they don't know enough about her. Harris acknowledged that this has not been a typical campaign. She's only been running for president for three months. So she spent a little time telling her personal story and then tied her experience as a prosecutor to how she would approach the presidency.
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HARRIS: For as long as I can remember, I have always had an instinct to protect. There's something about people being treated unfairly or overlooked that, frankly, just gets to me. I don't like it.
KEITH: A big part of her speech was about her policy proposals, like a child tax credit and having Medicare cover in-home care for seniors. She promised to listen to the needs and concerns of Americans, even if they don't vote for her. And in some ways, this felt more like a convention speech or even an inaugural address than typical campaign fare. I will also say, though, it was a lot less joyful and fun than the speeches she gave in the heady early days of her campaign. The Trump campaign did respond to this speech, saying Harris was name calling and clinging to the past to avoid talking about all the failures of the Biden administration.
INSKEEP: Well, OK, if this is the closing argument, I mean, Trump had this speech at Madison Square Garden and went out into the swing states again. Where does Harris go after this big speech in Washington?
KEITH: She's going to the swing states again - all seven of them - in a very short period of time, really crisscrossing the country. It is remarkable, but at this point in the race, there are still seven swing states. It is just that close.
INSKEEP: NPR's Tamara Keith, it's always a pleasure talking with you. Thanks so much.
KEITH: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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