Washington: One week before she hopes to make history as the first woman to occupy the Oval Office, Vice President Kamala Harris framed the US election as a referendum on Donald Trump and a chance to turn the page on years of chaos, anger and distrust.

In a “closing argument” delivered at the same place where Trump gave his own fiery address before the deadly attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, Harris offered voters a sharp contrast to her Republican rival and vision for how she would govern as president.

He’s a divider; she’s a uniter. He wants to jail his opponents; she wants to offer a seat at the table. He has an enemies list; she has a to-do list.

Vice President Kamala Harris promised a new generation of leadership at her speech on The Ellipse in front of the White House.Credit: Bloomberg

“This election is more than just a choice between two parties and two different candidates,” she said from behind bulletproof glass.

“It is a choice about whether we have a country rooted in freedom for every American or ruled by chaos and division.”

It was no coincidence that Harris chose The Ellipse, a 21-hectare park south of the White House, where tens of thousands of people gathered to hear her speak.

“I will always listen to you,” Kamala Harris said in her speech.Credit: AP

It was here, almost four years ago, that Trump told his supporters to “fight like hell” to stop President Joe Biden’s election victory from being certified on a day that will forever be remembered as one of the darkest moments for American democracy.

This election is the first to take........

© The Age