President Joe Biden sought to clarify comments he made Tuesday, which some interpreted as a reference to former President Donald Trump’s supporters as “garbage.” His remarks, initially made at a Voto Latino event, targeted what Biden said was “hateful rhetoric” directed at Puerto Rico by a speaker at a rally recently held by Mr. Trump in New York. “The only trash I see floating out there is his supporter’s … demonization of Latinos,” Biden said, before later clarifying his comment via X that the words were “unconscionable and un-American.”.
But despite clarifications from the White House, Republican figures pounced to attack Biden’s words. Briefed on what Biden said at a rally in Pennsylvania, Trump likened the comments to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 use of the term “deplorables,” which had accused her of having “no regard for facts” to show her contempt for hard-right supporters. Trump’s campaign made hay from the debate, sending out a donation email with the subject: “You are not garbage! I love you!
The Biden campaign attempted to backtrack on the comment, arguing that he was opposing “hateful rhetoric” and not Trump supporters themselves, but Republican figures did not buy it. The Republican vice-presidential nominee, JD Vance, attacked Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, saying they “despise” Trump supporters. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a Harris ally, avoided defending Biden’s words and called for a focus on policy differences rather than personal attacks.
The latest tension reveals the lack of visibility of Biden in the last leg of the Harris campaign, as remarks from Biden were said to irk Harris aides who don’t want to lose their message in the cacophony. In the statement, Biden still branded Trump a “true danger” for the minority communities, stating Harris’s leadership and what is at stake in this election. The Trump team, meanwhile, has made it clear that they were distancing themselves from the comic’s controversial remarks at the rally, trying to turn the page amidst controversy that rages on.
