Every move from the candidates and their allies matters in a race teetering on a knife edge

One 100 days aft becoming the Democratic Party's nominee for president, it was clip for Kamala Harris to contiguous her closing argument.

With the White House arsenic her backdrop and tens of thousands of supporters packing the outdoor arena, she acceptable retired her stall to the American public.

What she offered was a binary choice; maine oregon him, cohesion oregon chaos.

"On time one, if elected, Donald Trump volition locomotion successful with an enemies list. I volition locomotion successful with a to-do list," she said to immense cheers from the crowd.

The Harris campaign had pointedly picked the Ellipse successful Washington DC arsenic the venue for this address. Just beyond the White House's southbound lawn, the plot was wherever Donald Trump spoke connected 6 January 2021 earlier droves of his fans.

Standing successful astir the aforesaid spot arsenic Ms Harris present was, helium made mendacious claims astir the predetermination being stolen and urged his supporters to "fight similar hell". At slightest 2,000 of them, according to the FBI, past stormed the Capitol.

"We cognize who Donald Trump is, helium is the idiosyncratic who stood astatine this spot 4 years agone and sent an equipped mob to the US Capitol," Ms Harris said.

There were nods successful the code to reproductive rights, to the system and immigration. But it is wide that the Harris run believes the champion mode to triumph implicit wavering voters successful the last week is focusing connected the danger, they say, Trump presents to democracy.

"I deliberation she enactment guardant the opposition betwixt the 2 of them precise well," 1 man, wearing a camouflage Harris/Walz shot cap, tells maine arsenic helium exits the rally.

One of the criticisms levelled astatine Ms Harris is that she hasn't defined herself and her policies sufficiently to voters. But immoderate successful the assemblage bristled astatine that suggestion.

"I deliberation radical volition accidental they don't cognize capable astir her," said Mary Laxton, a 70-year-old from the cardinal plaything authorities of Pennsylvania who campaigns for Ms Harris. "But I deliberation for immoderate people, what they truly are saying is, 'I don't privation a pistillate arsenic president'. I hatred to accidental that, but that's what I believe.

"She whitethorn person started retired the gross a small slowly, but she has travel connected truthful beardown and has been precise wide astir who she is, what she would bash for the US and for each people, particularly women."

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Ms Harris tried to gully a nonstop opposition with Donald Trump, whose ain closing rally astatine Madison Square Garden was criticised for its hate-filled rhetoric and racist undertones. A comedian who appeared connected the signifier earlier Mr Trump spoke described Puerto Rico arsenic a "floating land of garbage".

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Ms Harris didn't code the rumbling contention implicit Mr Trump's rally. But from wrong the White House conscionable yards away, President Biden waded successful connected a run video call.

"Just the different day, a talker astatine his rally called Puerto Rico a floating land of garbage," helium said. "The lone garbage I spot floating retired determination is his supporters."

It recalled comments made by Hillary Clinton successful the 2016 run successful which she described "half" of Mr Trump's supporters arsenic a "basket of deplorables".

Mr Biden's remark was likewise ill-advised. Although helium is nary longer the nominee, it threatened to overshadow Ms Harris' large speech. It was besides a reminder that with this contention teetering connected a weapon edge, each connection and each determination from the candidates and their surrogates, has to beryllium measured.