Hillary Clinton made her closing argument to voters at a rally Monday night, asking them to “believe in an inclusive and big-hearted America.”
Clinton opened her speech in Philadelphia by thanking President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.
“I’m proud that I had the chance to serve in President Obama’s cabinet and I am proud that I could watch the extraordinary service of our first lady,” she said. “Like them, I love America and I know you do too. We love this country. We love what it stands for, not that we are blind to its flaws, its problems, its challenges. But I believe with all my heart that America’s best days are still ahead of us if we reach for them together.”
She cited Khizr Khan’s speech at a rally in support of her on Sunday, in which he asked if his deceased son, Capt. Humayun Khan, would have a place in Donald Trump’s America.
“That’s an important question for all of us. Because we don’t want to shrink the vision of this great country,” Clinton said. “We want to keep expanding it, so that everyone has a place to pursue your dreams, your aspirations, the future that you want to create for yourselves and everyone else.”
She asked voters to keep that in mind when they go to vote on Election Day.
“Think about that when you go to the polls tomorrow. Think about how throughout our history generations of Americans just like us have come together to meet the tests of their time,” Clinton said.
“Every issue you care about is at stake and that is just the beginning, because we have to bridge the divides in our country,” she said. “I regret deeply how angry the tone of the campaign became.”
“Not your fault!” a member of the crowd shouted, to cheers. Clinton smiled.
Clinton emphasized the themes of unity and inclusivity in rallies earlier Monday, asking voters to “rise above all of this hate-filled rhetoric” in favor of “love and kindness” in her remarks at campaign events in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Allendale, Michigan.
She concluded her speech by asking voters to think about what they will tell their grandchildren about the 2016 election.
“I want you to be able to say that you did vote. You voted for an inclusive, big-hearted, open-minded country, future that will make sure that we all keep moving together,” Clinton said. “You voted for an America where we build bridges, not walls. And maybe most importantly you voted in great numbers to demonstrate conclusively, once and for all, that yes—love trumps hate.”
