WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Tuesday felt the heated backlash from the Republican Party after making a comment that many had interpreted as him referring to supporters of former President Donald Trump as “garbage.”
Speaking to Voto Latino get out-the-vote call, Biden was weighing in on racist jokes at Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally Sunday where a comedian called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.”
In the video clip obtained by Fwrd Axis News, the President appeared at first to describe Trump supporters as “garbage” but his entire statement was not clear as he had a few moments where he struggled with his stutter.
“And just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico ‘a floating island of garbage.’ 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 said, pausing for a brief moment before he continued. “His, his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable and it’s un-American. It’s totally contrary to everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been.”
The White House denied that Biden had said this about Trump supporters, releasing a statement along with the full transcript of the exchange, noting that “supporters” was in fact “supporter’s,” and the President was referring to comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s and his joke.
“The President referred to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as ‘garbage,’” White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said in a statement.
The White House transcript stated the following: “And just the other day, a speaker at his 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 fr— in my home state of Delaware, they’re good, decent, honorable people. The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporter’s — his — his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American. It’s totally contrary to everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been.”
Biden’s comments drew quick backlash from Republicans, comparing the moment to Hillary Clinton’s “deplorables.” comment in 2016.
“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,” Biden posted on social media later in the evening. “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.”
Trump was at a rally in Allentown, Penn., on Tuesday and was made aware of Biden’s comment when Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) ran on stage, saying, “You might not have heard this. Just moments ago. Joe Biden stated that our supporters are garbage.”
“Wow. That’s terrible. That’s what it says,” Trump replied. “That’s what it says. So you have, remember Hillary, she said ‘deplorable’ and then she said irredeemable, right? But she said deplorable, that didn’t work out. Garbage I think is worse, right?”
The Trump campaign quickly sent fundraising emails out and Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded in a statement claiming that Biden and Harris “despise the tens of millions of Americans who support him,” while Trump “will be a president for ALL Americans.”
Also in the call on Tuesday, Biden also criticized Trump’s character.
“Donald Trump has no character, he doesn’t give a damn about the Latino community. He’s a failed businessman and he only cares about the billionaire friends he has,” Biden said.
“He’s a true danger, to not just Latinos, but to all people, particularly those who are in a minority in this country. You know, we have to vote to elect Kamala as president. Tim Walz as vice president. It’s never been more important,” he added.
Biden’s comments came just before Vice President Kamala Harris took the stage and delivered her closing argument for the campaign. The Harris campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
Meanwhile, Trump himself responded to the backlash from his rally on Sunday, calling it a “lovefest” and claimed to Fox News host Sean Hannity that he did not know the comedian despite his campaign vetting the speech before it was given.
“It’s nobody’s fault, but somebody said some bad things,” Trump said. “I don’t know if it’s a big deal or not, but I don’t want anybody making nasty jokes or stupid jokes. Probably he shouldn’t have been there.”
