The moment had finally arrived when Vice President Harris stepped onto the stage with and American flag backdrop to roaring crowds. The energy in the air was one of renewed hope that by next week the United States will have its first Asian and African American female president. As Kamala took to the podium with the White House behind her and cheering crowds around her, she welcomed the thousands of guests and the entire country watching on television to join her for her closing argument to voters. Harris touched on what she plans to do for the country if elected, whilst stating the stark contrast between her and her opponent Mr. Trump. She touched upon some of the key points of her platform including the choice between a more competent style of government versus the chaos and division she claims Mr. Trump will bring back to the White House. The Vice President painted a clear picture in which Donald Trump ignored those around him especially on January 6^th when he spoke at the same location before violent supporters stormed the Capitol. She went on to state yet again how the former president is “obsessed with revenge and consumed with grievance” while continuing to push the notion that this is not the American way, rather we are meant to disagree and debate, rather than the picture Trump paints of retribution for the so- called “enemies within.” The overarching theme of the evening touched on democracy and freedom versus the hate, fear and division Vice President Harris suggests Trump will bring back to the White House if elected again.

Harris went on to lay out her plan and how her administration will govern if elected, touching on working on bring about consensus between the two parties whilst listening to all Americans regardless of having voted for her or not. She made a point that she would come to the White House on her first day in office with a “to-do list” for the American people rather than the “enemies list” Trump would purportedly bring about in a second term.

The Vice President went on to touch upon the financial pressures many Americans are currently facing, including increasing grocery prices and the cost other goods and how she would bring about a tax cut for the average middle-class family while Mr. Trump’s focus, according to Harris, would bring about higher prices for most and tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy and his chummy billionaire friends, like Elon Musk. Harris made it a point to say that she would enact a federal ban on price gouging of groceries, and that she would limit out of pocket prescription costs, and provide a $25,000 down payment to first time home buyers. Further, she focused on bringing back dignity to the American people, including bolstering Medicare coverage and funding to better address health concerns and an ageing population. More importantly, Harris continued by hammering home the impact of Trump’s Supreme Court justices who reversed the long-standing Roe v. Wade decision on abortion and the affects that decision has had on women across the country. She went on to state that she expects that Mr. Trump will go even further by enacting a national abortion ban and restrict women’s lives and personal autonomy even further. The Vice President stated her administration would focus on working with Congress to codify Roe v. Wade and that she will happily sign it into law if it reaches her desk.

Immigration was also a hot topic of the evening, laying out her vision for an America where immigrants will be given a path to citizenship whilst also bolstering security at the southern border with Mexico and focusing on working with both parties to bring about a comprehensive immigration bill that will better address the US’ current immigration woes.

Foreign policy was also a key part of her speech, in which she stated in her administration, America would always stand with its allies rather than cow tow to its enemies as she suggests Mr. Trump has done in cozying up to authoritarian leaders like Putin and Kim Jung-Un. She made it a point to say that America would not surrender its role as a global leader while continuing to be a “champion of liberty around the world.”

As she approached the last minutes of her argument to the American people, she made a pledge to the country that she would be open to robust debate and would work with both sides of the political divide while also pledging to be “a President for all Americans”; always putting the country ahead of her party. She touched on the ways in which she has lived up to the opportunities America provided to her and her family throughout her life from growing up in Oakland, California to becoming the country’s first female vice president. Further, Harris continued to argue that many Americans have come together, even Republicans, to vote for her, for country over party. She went on to reiterate that freedom is something to be respected and preserved because of the ways in which previous generations fought to maintain, while contrasting a vision of Trump’s America being one of limited freedoms and choice.

As she closed her historic speech, she highlighted the ways in which all Americans should continue to fight to maintain their freedoms and how a Harris administration will fight for all Americans no matter their political leanings. The crowd roared as she finished and the second gentleman, Doug Emhoff, came on stage to join his wife in closing out such a historic night. Having been in the crowd, one could sense that this is an unusual election with two starkly contrasting visions for America, but if the Vice President succeeded in doing anything, it was to bring hope and optimism to the crowds and the country before election day. As the election approaches, one can only hope that America “won’t go back!” just as the crowds cheered throughout a crisp autumn evening in the nation’s capital.