In a desperate ploy to score political points for Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. President Joe Biden called supporters of former president Donald J. Trump “garbage” on Tuesday.
The remarks came in response to a speech from comedian Tony Hinchcliffe this weekend, who made a joke about Puerto Rico being “a floating island of garbage” at the Trump rally in Madison Square Garden.
“And just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico ‘a floating island of garbage,'” Biden said. “Well, let me tell you something… I don’t know the Puerto Rican that I know… or Puerto Rico where I’m — in my home state of Delaware — they’re good, decent, honorable people,” Biden said.
“The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” Biden continued. “His, his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable and it’s un-American.”
The Biden administration and Kamala Harris campaign swiftly went into damage control. White House spokesman Andrew Bates told reporters Biden was simply referring to Hinchcliffe’s “hateful rhetoric”. And in what seems like a separate attempt to clean up the president’s mess, the Joe Biden account posted the following 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 Kamala Harris was also forced to address the debacle while 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,” Harris said. “You heard my speech last night and continuously throughout my career. I believe that the work that I do is about representing all the people whether they support me or not.”
“I am sincere in what I mean: When elected president of the United States, I will represent all Americans, including those who don’t vote for me, and address their needs and their desires.”
