President Biden unleashed a storm of controversy on Tuesday by referring to Trump supporters as “garbage” during a White House call condemning remarks made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe at a Trump rally in Madison Square Garden.
The comedian, during his routine, had called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage,” a comment Biden took as a direct insult to the Latino community.
“Donald Trump has no character. He doesn’t care about the Latino community,” Biden said, referencing the controversial comment. “Just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico a floating island of garbage.
Holy cr*p. The sitting President just called half the country “garbage” pic.twitter.com/Cemcua9yPn
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) October 30, 2024
The only garbage I see out there is his supporters. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American.”
Trump fired back at Biden’s “garbage” comment during a rally in Allentown, PA, stating it was an insult even harsher than Hillary Clinton’s infamous “deplorables” label.
“Wow. That’s terrible,” Trump said. “Hillary called us ‘deplorable’ and ‘irredeemable,’ but ‘garbage’ might be worse.”
The White House quickly tried to clarify Biden’s statement, with Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates insisting Biden was only referring to the “hateful rhetoric” at the rally as garbage.
The White House released a transcript that Biden’s team claimed was misinterpreted, clarifying the intended meaning: “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporter’s — his — his demonization of Latinos.”
Biden further clarified his position on social media, tweeting, “Earlier today, I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his rally as garbage — which is the only word I can think of to describe it. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That’s all I meant to say.”
The incident quickly sparked a political firestorm. Trump’s rally was attended by high-profile GOP figures, including Republican VP hopeful JD Vance and Senator Marco Rubio.
Rubio defended Trump supporters, saying, “These are everyday Americans who love their country. We are not garbage; we are patriots.”
Comedian Hinchcliffe, who ignited the uproar, defended his controversial joke as simply humor. “These people have no sense of humor,” he posted on X. “I love Puerto Rico and vacation there.”
These people have no sense of humor. Wild that a vice presidential candidate would take time out of his “busy schedule” to analyze a joke taken out of context to make it seem racist. I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone…watch the whole set. I’m a… https://t.co/VFxHRcdv5k
— Tony Hinchcliffe (@TonyHinchcliffe) October 27, 2024
The backlash from Biden’s comments has energized Trump’s base and intensified the 2024 campaign battle, which was already heated with Biden’s recent comments about “locking Trump up” politically, a remark he quickly softened.
Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris has been working to counter Biden’s remarks, as the GOP seizes the moment to rally its supporters.