WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden It fueled Republican anger that intensified Tuesday night racist jokes Sunday at Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally.
At the event, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a “floating garbage island.” He also made crude, offensive and racist comments about Latinos and Black people.
On Tuesday, during a video call to communicate with Latino voters, Biden defended the Puerto Rican community and criticized Trump supporters or Hinchcliffe.
“They are good, decent, honorable people,” Biden said, referring to the Puerto Rican community. “The only garbage I see floating there is his supporters. His demonization of Latinos is dishonest and un-American. It’s completely against everything we do.”
The White House quickly went into damage control mode, with spokesman Andrew Bates saying Biden “referred to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as garbage.”
The White House also released a transcript to show that Biden didn’t say Trump supporters were “garbage,” but rather that he was overstepping his lines and specifically disparaging Hinchcliffe’s remarks.
“And just the other day, a speaker at a rally called Puerto Rico a ‘floating garbage island,'” the White House transcript reads. “Well, let me tell you something. I don’t know – I – I don’t know the Puerto Ricans that – that I know – or the Puerto Ricans that I live in my home state of Delaware, they are good, decent, honorable people. The only garbage I see floating out there is his pro – his – demonization of Latinos is dishonest and un-American. This is completely contrary to everything we do, everything we are.”
Soon after, so did Biden X posted an explanation.
“Earlier today, I remembered a Trump supporter’s hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico at a Madison Square Garden rally as garbage — that’s the only word I can think of to describe it. His demonization of Latinos is preposterous. That’s all I wanted to say. The comments at that rally do not reflect who we are as a nation,” he wrote.
Still, the controversy detracted from what should have been a big night for Vice President Kamala Harris, who was about to deliver her key “closing argument” speech at the Ellipse in Washington — before Trump’s speech. supporters attacked the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
“It is time to turn the page on drama and conflict, fear and division. It’s time for a new generation of leadership in America.” Harris said on tuesday night. “And I’m ready to offer that leadership.”
Instead, the focus shifted to Biden, with Republicans using his remarks to undercut Harris’ message of unity. speaks at.
Chris LaCivita, Trump’s co-campaign manager He responded to Biden’s words about XHe writes that Harris “hates you and hates you according to the vote of the American soul.”
Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, X said: “This is disgusting. Kamala Harris and her boss Joe Biden are attacking half the country. There is no excuse for this. I hope the Americans will reject it.”
A senior Trump campaign official said that when the campaign was aware of the comment, it moved quickly to get it in front of Biden, who was in the middle of it. rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., was already scheduled to take the stage, so a campaign staffer handed him a note with the contents of Biden’s memo. Rubio read it to Trump.
“It’s terrible. It says so,” Trump said.
Trump then brought up Hillary Clinton’s comments during the 2016 presidential campaign when she said that “half” of Trump’s supporters “fit the picture.”basket of deplorables” — comments widely seen as hurting him in the election.
“Trash is worse, I guess, isn’t it?” Trump said. “But he doesn’t know. You must forgive him. Forgive him because he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”
The Democratic Governor of Pennsylvania was Josh Shapiro presented Biden’s comments CNN on Tuesday evening. He said it was the first time he had heard them.
“I will never insult the good people of Pennsylvania or any American, even if they choose to support a candidate that I do not support,” he said.
“Those are certainly not words I would have chosen,” he said. “I think it’s important that we focus on the contrast between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump and not attack the supporters of either candidate.”
In an interview with Fox News this month, host Bret Baier asked Harris if he thought Trump supporters were “stupid.”
“Oh God. I would never say that about the American people,” he replied. “In fact, if you listen to Donald Trump, if you watch any of his rallies, he tends to demean, demean and belittle the American people. He is someone who talks about the enemy within, the enemy within, who talks about the American people and who thinks he is going to turn the American military on the American people.
The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on what Biden said Tuesday night.
Democratic strategist Chris Kofinis said: “The final days of this race are turning into a race to the bottom of the rhetorical barrel. Want to know why this race is close? It’s as if both campaigns are trying to find new and innovative ways to lose their surrogates. Hitting the head.”