President Joe Biden recently sparked controversy with remarks that appeared to insult supporters of former President Donald Trump. During a video address aimed at Latino audiences, Biden’s comments prompted backlash and criticism from Republican leaders.
Now, many are curious to know about Joe Biden’s “garbage” comment about Trump’s supporters. Here are more details.
Joe Biden appears to call Donald Trump supporters ‘garbage’
President Joe Biden stirred controversy on Tuesday when he seemingly called supporters of former President Donald Trump “garbage” while condemning the racist remarks made at a recent Trump rally. Addressing Latino supporters through a video message, Biden referenced a speaker who called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.” This comment was made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe during the rally at Madison Square Garden.
Biden emphasized that Puerto Ricans are “honorable people” (via CNN). However, he then remarked, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters — his, his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American.”
This comment quickly sparked backlash from Republicans. Republican leaders compared Biden’s remarks to Hillary Clinton’s infamous “deplorables” comment from 2016. Senator JD Vance of Ohio characterized Biden’s remarks as “disgusting” in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Vance added, “Kamala Harris and her boss Joe Biden are attacking half of the country.”
The White House quickly clarified that Biden was criticizing the racist language used at the rally, not the supporters themselves. A transcript released later indicated that Biden’s comments were directed at Hinchcliffe’s comments.
In response to the backlash, the president issued a clarification on X, explaining that he was referring to the “hateful rhetoric” coming from Trump’s supporters as “garbage.” He reiterated that such “demonization” of Latinos is unacceptable and not reflective of American values.
Nevertheless, Biden’s comments ignited criticism that shifted focus away from Vice President Kamala Harris. Some Democrats, like Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, have also expressed their disapproval. Shapiro told CNN he would never insult Americans for their political choices (via Fox News).
