President Joe Biden faced backlash on Tuesday after seemingly labeling supporters of Republican Donald Trump as “garbage” during a call focused on his re-election campaign. Critics argue that such language is divisive and undermines the unity that Biden has promised to restore, intensifying the already heated political climate as the election approaches.
During a video conference with VotoLatino, President Joe Biden spoke about the backlash triggered by a statement from a warm-up speaker at a recent Trump rally in New York, who referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.”
Biden condemned such remarks, highlighting the necessity of honoring Puerto Rico’s rich culture and contributions, especially as the island continues to recover from past disasters.
“The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” said Biden. “His, his, his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable and it’s un-American.”
The White House released a statement clarifying that President Biden’s remarks were aimed at Donald Trump’s rhetoric, not his supporters. This response seeks to address concerns raised by GOP officials who interpreted Biden’s words as a personal attack, reinforcing the administration’s commitment to respectful political discourse.
“The President referred to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as ‘garbage,’” said White House spokesperson Andrew Bates.
With only one week remaining until Election Day, Kamala Harris, Biden’s vice president, is embroiled in a competitive race against Donald Trump for the presidency.
The latest polling data shows an incredibly close matchup, emphasizing the urgency for both candidates to mobilize their supporters and effectively communicate their visions for the country.
The comments drew immediate attention from Trump’s campaign, which swiftly condemned them, with the Republican presidential contender describing them as “terrible.” This reaction is part of an ongoing effort to highlight perceived weaknesses in Biden’s leadership and rally support among Trump’s followers.
“These people. Terrible, terrible — terrible to say a thing like that,” Trump said at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
He compared the comments to when Hillary Clinton — running against Trump for the presidency in 2016 — said half of the Republican’s supporters were “deplorables.”
“Garbage, I think is worse, right?” quipped Trump in Pennsylvania.
Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance called Biden’s words “disgusting.”
“Kamala Harris and her boss Joe Biden are attacking half of the country,” he said.
Read also: Biden To Address Past Abuses Against Native American Children
At the Trump rally in New York on Sunday, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe joked about Puerto Rico being a “floating island of garbage” and made further racist remarks about African Americans and Hispanic immigrants’ sex lives.
Residents of Puerto Rico, an American island territory in the Caribbean, cannot take part in US elections, but the diaspora living in the United States numbers almost six million, according to Pew Research Center, and is eligible to vote.
On Tuesday, Trump continued his campaign’s push to distance the former president from the comedian’s comments.
“I don’t know if it’s a big deal or not, but I don’t want anybody making nasty jokes or stupid jokes,” he told broadcaster Fox News.
“Probably, he shouldn’t have been there.”