President Joe Biden tried to explain comments he made earlier this week which sparked backlash when he seemed to refer to backers of former President Donald Trump as “trash” at a Voto Latino online event. The remarks, which were a response to an offensive comment made by a speaker at a Trump rally, generated a negative reaction, with Republicans comparing them to Hillary Clinton’s well-known “deplorables” statement in 2016.
While speaking, Biden addressed a disrespectful comment made about Puerto Rico at a Trump rally, where the island was described as “a floating island of garbage.”
In a strong rebuke, Biden said, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” before emphasizing his opposition to Trump’s rhetoric toward the Latino community. “His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable and un-American,” Biden continued, calling it contrary to the values of the nation.
The White House quickly moved to clarify Biden’s statements, asserting that he was referring not to all Trump supporters but rather to the derogatory rhetoric expressed at the rally. Biden later posted on X, explaining, “Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage — that’s all I meant to say.” A White House spokesperson added that Biden intended to criticize only a particular “supporter’s” words rather than all of Trump’s base.
The clarification came after a rapid Republican response. Trump campaign officials, including Trump himself, seized on Biden’s words, linking them to Clinton’s “deplorables” remark. At a Pennsylvania rally, Trump’s team repeated Biden’s words, with Trump commenting, “Garbage I think is worse, right?” The campaign used Biden’s comments in a fundraising email, rallying supporters with the subject line, “You are not garbage! I love you! You are the best our nation has to offer.”
Additional GOP figures, like Republican VP candidate JD Vance, criticized Biden’s comments as divisive, with Vance labeling them as “disgusting.”
Republican figures expressed concern over the divisive language, urging voters to “reject it.” Vice President Kamala Harris, who had been scheduled to speak at a major rally shortly after Biden’s remarks, refrained from directly addressing the comments.
Biden’s remarks also prompted questions among Democrats, including Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a Harris ally. Shapiro noted that he would not have used similar language, stating, “I think it’s important that we remain focused on the contrast between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, not on attacking supporters of either candidate.”
Trump’s campaign distanced itself from the speaker who made the comment about Puerto Rico, clarifying that his views do not represent those of Trump or his campaign. In a statement, Trump campaign spokesperson Danielle Alvarez said, “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,” but concerns about the rhetoric lingered within the former president’s inner circle.
In his follow-up statement, Biden reiterated his criticism of Trump’s character, labeling him as “a true danger, not just to Latinos, but to all people, particularly those in minority communities.” He ended his remarks by urging voters to support Harris, stressing the importance of the upcoming election and highlighting the differences between Harris and Trump’s values.