Biden’s comments ignite debate as Trump responds to criticism of his supporters.
On Tuesday night, President Biden was on a teleconference hosted by Voto Latino, and according to the video, he said, “Just the other day, a speaker at his [Trump’s] rally called Puerto Rico a ‘floating island of garbage.’ Well, let me tell you something. I don’t – I – I don’t know the Puerto Rican that – that I know – or a Puerto Rico, where I’m fro- – in my home state of Delaware, they’re good, decent, honorable people. The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters.”
The White House clarified the President’s remarks, saying he was referring to the comedian Tony Hinchcliffe after he called Puerto Rico an “island of garbage” during Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden over the weekend. Later that night, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro was asked about Biden’s comment during an appearance on CNN, and he said, “I would never insult the good people of Pennsylvania, or any Americans, even if they chose to support a candidate that I didn’t support.”
President Biden issued the following statement on X: “Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage – which is the only word I can think of to describe it. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That’s all I meant to say. The comments at that rally don’t reflect who we are as a nation.”
Vice President Harris addressed the controversy on Wednesday, telling reporters on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews, “Listen, I think, first of all, he clarified his comments, but let me be clear: I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for.”
Some analysts and pollsters warn Biden’s garbage comment could have damaged Harris’s campaign irreparably. Pollster Frank Luntz went as far as to say he thinks it could have lost her the election, pointing out that the President’s comments are not the same thing as a comedian saying something “stupid and offensive at a rally.” During Trump’s rally on Tuesday night in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, he addressed President Biden’s “garbage” jab, saying, “Joe Biden finally said what he and Kamala really think of our supporters. He called them ‘garbage’, and they mean it, even though, without question, my supporters are far higher quality than crooked Joe, lyin’ Kamala.” He later added, “My response to Joe and Kamala is very simple: You can’t lead America if you don’t love Americans. You just can’t.”
On Wednesday, CNN senior political analyst Mark Preston said that President Biden should own up to his comments and double down on them to “make Democrats look strong”. He added, “Yeah, I do mean all those racist supporters of Donald Trump, yeah, I do think that they’re terrible. I think that people would look at the Democratic Party a little bit differently. I do think that the Democratic Party in general doesn’t look like they are strong enough and they will always back off of things. And I think that when Joe Biden backs off of saying what he really believes, I don’t think that’s a good look.”
As a response to Biden’s comments, former President Trump hosted a press conference on Wednesday in Green Bay, Wisconsin from inside a garbage truck while wearing a bright orange safety vest.
He dedicated the truck to Vice President Harris and President Biden, saying, “This truck is in honor of Kamala and Joe Biden. I just wanted to let you know that 250 million people, that’s what I think the real number is for making America great again. 250 million, the real number.” While taking questions from reporters, he said, “I think 250 million people in this country are gonna be very happy because we’re gonna bring the country back. We’re a nation in decline, very, very serious decline, and we’re gonna bring the country back.” When asked directly about Tony Hinchcliffe and his comments at his rally, Trump said, “I don’t know anything about the comedian. I don’t know who he is, I’ve never seen him. I heard he made a statement, but it was just a statement that he made. He’s a comedian. What can I tell you? I know nothing about him. I don’t know why he’s there.”
On Wednesday night, Trump held a rally in Green Bay, wearing the same bright orange visibility safety vest that he wore on the garbage truck. He told the crowd, “Kamala and Joe call all of us, and them, even them, ‘garbage’. I call you the heart and soul of America. You are the heart and soul, you built our country, you built it. And by the way, I want to thank all our sanitation workers all across America because they work hard, they really do work hard and they do an incredible job, and they don’t get the credit they deserve.”
