As Election Day nears, the difference between Trump and Harris could not be starker | Editorial

The closing arguments offered by Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump this week underscored the stark contrasts in their character, vision, and leadership. The themes and location of their respective speeches also provided a window into the next four years depending on who wins the election.

Harris gave the speech of her life before a crowd of 75,000 at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. — where Trump held a “Stop the Steal” rally on Jan. 6, 2021, before a mutinous mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.

She pledged to work across the aisle to solve the problems facing average Americans: “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 my table.”

Harris outlined an agenda focused on reducing prices, defending abortion rights, providing health care, supporting small businesses, helping first-time home buyers, and lowering taxes for middle-class Americans. She talked about bringing a “to-do list” to the Oval Office, while Trump will bring an “enemies list.”

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Harris, 60, talked about her love of America and her career in public service fighting for the people. She committed to signing the bipartisan border security bill Trump killed, while working with Congress to pass an immigration reform measure that provides hardworking immigrants “an earned path to citizenship.”

Harris urged voters to put the Constitution above supporting a wannabe dictator and invoked past generations who fought to preserve American freedom: “The patriots at Normandy and Selma, Seneca Falls and Stonewall, on farmland and factory floors. They did not struggle, sacrifice, and lay down their lives only to see us cede our fundamental freedoms. They didn’t do that only to see us submit to the will of another petty tyrant.”

Meanwhile, Trump gathered a wack pack of D-list personalities for a six-hour hate fest at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Trump trotted out his usual list of grievances aimed at migrants and “the enemy within.” He fantasized about “decapitating” a journalist, and told supporters to get ready for 18th-century laws to make a comeback, referring to a measure from 1798 that would give him the authority to round up immigrants.

As usual, Trump’s comments were infused with lies. He falsely claimed a “savage Venezuelan prison gang” had “taken over Times Square.” He said crime is “through the roof” when it has been falling the last two years.

Trump also falsely claimed the Biden administration lacked funds to help hurricane victims in North Carolina because “they spent all of their money bringing in illegal immigrants, flying them in by beautiful jet planes.”

Trump’s reheated rhetoric was overshadowed by the 30 invited hangers-on who warmed up the crowd with a litany of racist, antisemitic, and misogynistic hate.

Purported comedian Tony Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico “a floating island of garbage.” He pointed at a Black man in the audience and said the two of them had “carved watermelons together.”

Radio host Sid Rosenberg took the stage and told the crowd that the event was a “Nazi rally,” before referring to Hillary Clinton as a “sick b—.” He added that all Democrats were “Jew-haters.”

Trump supporter David Rem called Harris the “Antichrist.” Businessman Grant Cardone claimed the vice president has “pimp handlers.”

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Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson said Harris — whose father is Jamaican and mother is Indian — would be “the first Samoan Malaysian, low IQ former California prosecutor ever to be elected president.”

Rudolph W. Giuliani, the former New York mayor who has been indicted and lost his law license, railed about Palestinians being “taught to kill us at 2 years old.”

Stephen Miller, the architect of Trump’s plan to deport millions of immigrants, said the former president would make clear that “America is for Americans and Americans only” — echoing the old Nazi slogan, “Germany for the Germans.”

And that wasn’t the only parallel. The bigotry and xenophobia that were on display called to mind a rally held at an earlier version of Madison Square Garden in support of Adolf Hitler in 1939. The only things missing from the stage were jackboots and white hoods.

Trump tried to distance himself from Hinchcliffe’s comments about Puerto Rico — which were at least meant to be funny — but did not apologize for it or any of the other bile spewed by supporters.

Neither did any other Republican leaders. “We had an epic time at Madison Square Garden last night,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said.

The closing arguments and campaigns showed the two presidential candidates could not be more different.

Harris hugged the woman who was first in line at her Washington rally and has made overtures to a wide swath of voters.

Trump and running mate JD Vance have threatened or insulted just about everyone, including Black Americans, women without children, Haitians, LGBTQ people, Jews, Latinos, Muslims, federal employees, judges, journalists, and Democrats.

About the only people Trump and Vance haven’t attacked are billionaires, white men, and Vladimir Putin. More to the point, using hatred and division is no way to run a campaign, let alone lead a big, diverse country.

Presidents take an oath to serve all Americans. During his previous term, Trump served himself. He ignored intelligence briefs and instead mostly golfed, tweeted, watched TV, and lounged at one of his resorts.

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At 78, Trump is unserious and unfit for the complex challenges of the most important job in the world. That is essential for voters to remember — especially here in the Philadelphia region, which will help decide the election.

Trump has long derided Philadelphia and other big cities, which will suffer if he returns to office. He claimed the city was “ravaged by bloodshed and crime,” when, in fact, murders and crime were higher during his term.

In 2020, Trump also said “bad things happen in Philadelphia” when he falsely claimed election fraud. He is irresponsibly stoking voter fraud fears again in the region.

Voters face a clear choice: Harris supports joy and unity. Trump feeds off anger and division.

There is only one responsible way forward.