Kamala Harris criticizes Trump's Jan. 6 response in her rally on The Ellipse

WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris opened her 'closing arguments' to voters on The Ellipse by condemning her opponent Republican Former President Donald Trump's actions on Jan. 6, 2021. 

It was an attempt from the Democratic candidate to draw a contrast from Trump, who delivered a speech from The Ellipse on Jan. 6, 2021.

"We know who Donald Trump is, he is the person who stood at this very spot, nearly four years ago and sent an armed mob to the United States Capitol to overturn the will of the people in a free and fair election -- An election that he knew he lost," Harris said. "Americans died as a result of that attack; 140 law enforcement officers were injured."

Harris' campaign said 75,000 people were on the National Mall for the vice president's speech on Tuesday. DC Police announced various road closures that impacted Northwest DC as a result of the speech. 

"One week from today, you will have a chance to make a decision that directly impacts your life, the life of your family and the future of the country we love," Harris speech began. "It will probably be the most important vote you ever cast."

In her speech, the Democratic candidate spelled out her key political positions, taking issue with Trump's stance on abortion and immigration. The vice president said economic issues were her campaign's top priority.

"Our top priority, as a nation, four years ago was to end the pandemic and rescue the economy," Harris' said.  "Now our biggest challenge is to lower costs."

Trump delivered his "Stop The Steal" election denial rally speech at the Ellipse on Jan. 6, 2021, where he denied the results of the 2020 presidential election and encouraged his supporters to protest the certification of that election.

Following Trump's speech, thousands of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to disrupt Congress' certification of the Electoral College results, in which Joe Biden defeated Trump 306-232.

About 140 police officers were assaulted on Jan. 6 — roughly 80 from the U.S. Capitol Police and about 60 from D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department. Four people died at the Capitol that day, and one officer who was on duty during the riot died days later. Four police officers who were stationed at the Capitol on Jan. 6 died by suicide in the months that followed.

Trump justified his supporters actions on Twitter on Jan. 6., repeating lies about the election after the riot at the Capitol.

"These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously and viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly and unfairly for so long," Trump posted on Twitter, now X, which the site later deleted. 

In a Univision town hall on Oct. 17, Trump said the mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol did not represent the election denial rally that was held on Jan. 6.

"This was a tiny percentage of the overall which nobody sees," Trump said to the town hall. "That was a day of love from the standpoint of the the millions -- it's like hundreds of thousands." 

In the vice presidential debate on Oct. 1, Trump's running mate Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance said Trump 'peacefully gave over power on Jan. 20.' When asked if Trump lost the election, Vance said he was 'focused on the future.'

Trump has called rioters 'political prisoners' and has floated the idea of pardoning the 1,200 who have been arrested for crimes connected to the Jan. 6 riot. 

"If I run and if I win, we will treat those people from January 6th fairly," Trump said in 2022. "And if it requires pardons, we will give them pardons because they are being treated so unfairly." 

Former President Donald Trump will also enter the DMV within the next week, with a rally scheduled Saturday in Salem, Va.