Biden Seeks to Clarify ‘Garbage’ Remark Following Controversy

President Joe Biden has sought to explain remarks that seemed to label Donald Trump’s supporters as “garbage,” which led to a conservative outcry. His comments were made in response to a comedian who generated controversy at a Trump rally on Sunday by describing Puerto Rico as an “island of garbage” during a performance. Biden was initially quoted on Tuesday stating, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” which provoked a strong reaction from Republicans. Subsequently, the White House issued a transcript containing an apostrophe, clarifying that the president’s statement referred to the remarks made by Trump rally comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, rather than implying criticism of tens of millions of Trump supporters. The transcript indicates: “The only garbage I see floating out there is [Trump’s] supporter’s… his demonisation of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American.” President Biden later commented on his video discussion with the non-profit organization Voto Latino, posting 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 demonisation 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.” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre informed journalists at a press briefing that Biden “does not view Trump supporters or anybody who supports Trump, as garbage.” Nevertheless, supporters of Trump have highlighted these remarks, drawing parallels to a contentious statement made by Hillary Clinton in 2016 during Trump’s initial presidential campaign, when she characterized half of his supporters as belonging to a “basket of deplorables.” As the verbal dispute intensified, Trump personally implied that Kamala Harris, his competitor for the presidency, was conducting a “campaign of hate.” Conversely, Democrats have criticized Trump for denouncing “the enemy from within” at his rallies, a phrase he has stated refers to “radical left lunatics” and a few Democratic legislators. During his rally in North Carolina on Wednesday, Trump asserted that Biden’s statements were “worse” than Clinton’s. He declared, “You know what’s worse than anything? Garbage, We’re garbage,” before commending his supporters as the “heart and soul of America.” When questioned about the comment on Wednesday, Harris stated that Biden had “clarified his comments,” and further remarked: “Let me be clear, I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for.” The controversy surrounding Biden’s remarks risked diverting attention from a rally held by Kamala Harris on Tuesday evening. Harris, who is campaigning for the White House as the Democratic nominee following Biden’s earlier withdrawal from the race, presented what her campaign termed her “closing argument” in Washington DC. This event took place at the same location where Trump had spoken just prior to a riot by his supporters at the US Capitol building on 6 January 2021. She encouraged voters to “turn the page on the drama and the conflict” in American politics. The Madison Square Garden rally, which Biden referenced and where Hinchcliffe and others caused offense with various statements, was defended by Trump on Tuesday as a “lovefest.” He conceded that “somebody said some bad things” but maintained that he did not consider it “a big deal.” Trump refrained from issuing an apology, despite demands from notable individuals from the island, which is a US territory. Several Republicans, including those from areas with significant Latino communities, voiced their indignation. In Philadelphia, within the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania, members of the 90,000-strong Puerto Rican community informed the BBC that they would remember the joke. While residents of Puerto Rico, a US island territory located in the Caribbean, are ineligible to vote in presidential elections, its substantial diaspora within the US is able to participate. North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher provides analysis of the presidential race in his twice-weekly US Election Unspun newsletter. Readers in the UK can subscribe here, and those outside the UK can sign up here. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available here.