Harris expects thousands to attend Ellipse speech as Election Day nears

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Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris will bring her final case to the American people with a campaign speech from the Ellipse in D.C. Tuesday, according to a permit request.

Harris’ speech will mark the first by a presidential candidate at the location since former President Donald Trump delivered remarks there on Jan. 6, 2021.

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., speaks with WTOP's Mark Lewis about Kamala Harris' upcoming speech at the Ellipse.

Representatives for the Harris-Walz campaign estimated some 20,000 participants would watch Harris during Tuesday evening’s address, which could lead to packed crowds at the Ellipse as well as portions of Southeast, Southwest and Northwest portions of the Washington Monument in D.C.

Officials with the National Park Service granted the campaign’s permit request Saturday, according to the document.

Overnight security is expected to remain at the location until the event ends Tuesday evening. The public gathering permit also explicitly prohibits a march from the Ellipse to another location.

During Tuesday’s address, officials close to the Harris campaign expect the vice president will reference the events that happened on Jan. 6, 2021, which included a march to the U.S. Capitol building and a deadly riot inside the halls of Congress.

The speech is also expected to serve as a final message before next week’s general election.

So far, both Harris and Trump remain in a tightly contested race for the White House.

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Ivy Lyons

Ivy Lyons is a digital journalist for WTOP.com. Since 2018, they have worked on Capitol Hill, at NBC News in Washington, and with WJLA in Washington.

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