Joe Biden released a statement earlier Tuesday that he was “trying to say” that “hateful rhetoric” about Puerto Rico by pro-Trump comedians is “garbage.” But in an edited video clip that has already been widely circulated on social media on Tuesday night, the phrase from Biden’s mouth is: “The only trash floating around out there is his supporters.” It was.
Republican politicians and right-wing media outlets quickly picked up on the footage, claiming that Biden had called Trump’s supporters trash, and that in 2016 Hillary Clinton called half of Trump’s supporters “deplorables.” Compared to the classification, this comment was widely disseminated. It is seen as damaging to her campaign.
Today, I referred to the hateful anti-Puerto Rican rhetoric spewed by Trump supporters at the Madison Square Garden rally as garbage, and that’s the only word I can think of to describe it. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That’s all I wanted to say. …
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 30, 2024
Biden’s full comments on Tuesday were somewhat garbled, and some journalists who transcribed them argued that it appeared Biden was really trying to refer to comments by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, not all Trump supporters. However, others reported that the president actually suggested Trump’s remarks. The supporters themselves were garbage.
Biden’s comments came during a Zoom call with Voto Latino, during which he referred to Hinchcliffe’s comments and said the Puerto Ricans he knows are “good, decent, honorable people.” ” he said. The only trash floating there is his supporters, his. Demonizing his things is unconscionable, un-American, and completely contrary to everything we’ve ever done. But it’s not entirely clear whether he used the singular “supporters” or the plural “supporters” to refer to President Trump’s broader base. Ta.
In the official transcript of Biden’s remarks, released Tuesday night by the White House press office, the comment is marked with an apostrophe: “The only garbage I see floating there is that his supporters, his own The demonization of Latinos is unconscionable and un-American.”
Sen. Marco Rubio, who spoke at a campaign event with President Trump, called the remarks “breaking news” and told Trump supporters that Biden had dismissed vast numbers of ordinary Americans as “trash.” Conservative news outlets amplified this statement. Biden quickly tweeted that he was “trying to say” that the comedian’s comments were “garbage.”
The uproar over Biden’s “garbage” comments comes on what was supposed to be a big night for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, as she prepares to give her campaign’s closing arguments and tells the country that Trump’s “Page” “Turn it over,” he asked. . Harris spoke to tens of thousands of supporters in Washington, DC. She made her claims on January 6th, where President Trump addressed his supporters, but then later attacked supporters who tried to block the certification of Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election. Many rushed into the parliament building.
Today, I referred to the hateful anti-Puerto Rican rhetoric spewed by Trump supporters at the Madison Square Garden rally as garbage, and that’s the only word I can think of to describe it. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That’s all I wanted to say. …
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 30, 2024
Biden’s initial comments were slightly garbled, marking another gaffe from a gaffe-prone politician on the eve of a very close election.
Polling averages show Ms. Harris and Mr. Trump remain locked in what Guardian pollsters say is a close presidential race.
sign up for The Stakes — US Election Edition
The Guardian guides you through the turmoil of a presidential election with huge consequences.
Privacy Notice: Newsletters may include information about charities, online advertising, and content sponsored by external parties. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and are subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
After newsletter promotion
On Tuesday night, pollster Nate Silver tweeted that if Harris loses, “you’ll get a tough review from me about Joe Biden.”
Hinchcliffe, host of the “Kill Tony” podcast, was the first speaker at Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night. His racist comments drew widespread condemnation, including from Republicans, and were denied by the Trump campaign.
“Right now, there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean. Yeah, I think it’s called Puerto Rico,” Hinchcliffe said. He also said that Latinos “love to have children and they won’t back down. They won’t do that. Just like they did to our country. It’s coming into the country.”
NBC reported that Hinchcliffe tried the same joke about Puerto Rico on a comedy stage in New York the night before the Trump rally, and the joke was a huge success.
