US President Joe Biden stirred controversy when he referred to Donald Trump supporters as "garbage." He did so in response to a racist joke a comedian made at a Trump rally days earlier by comparing Puerto Rico to an "island of garbage." "The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters, his demonisation of Latinos is unconscionable, and it's un-American.".
This is just so diametrically opposed to everything we have done, everything we've been," Biden said during remarks on a campaign call for Latino voters Tuesday.
"Just the other day, a speaker at his rally referred to Puerto Rico as a 'floating island of garbage.' Well, let me tell you something".
I don't know the Puerto Rican that -- that I know -- or a Puerto Rico, where I'm fr- -- in my home state of Delaware, they're good, decent, honourable people," he said. Republican Senator Marco Rubio brought this up before thousands of Trump supporters in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Former president Trump was also swift in the condemnation. Trump, campaigning in Allentown, said it was "terrible," and compared it to when Hillary Clinton in 2016 called some of his supporters "deplorables." "So, you have to remember Hillary-she said 'deplorable' and then she said 'irredeemable,' Trump said. "'Garbage' I think is worse." In the damage control mode, the Biden camp attempted to contextualize his remarks 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," Biden wrote.
"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," Biden said. The running mate of Trump, Ohio Senator J D Vance described it as disgusting. "This is disgusting. Kamala Harris and her boss Joe Biden are attacking half of the country," he posted on X.
"There is no excuse for this.". I hope Americans reject it, he said. Karoline Leavitt, the National Press Secretary for the Trump Campaign stated that Trump is supported by Latinos, Black voters, union workers, law enforcement officers, border patrol agents and Americans of all faiths. "Harris, Walz and Biden have called these great Americans fascists, Nazis and now, trash," said Leavitt.
"There's no way to spin it: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris don't just hate President Trump-they hate the tens of millions of Americans who support him. Kamala does not deserve four more years. President Trump will be a president for all Americans," she said.
Biden's comments came amid a Democratic presidential nominee speech in Washington DC by VP Kamala Harris on desire to bring the United States past divisive rhetoric and name-calling toward one marked with unity and compromise.
Read also| President Biden to Mark Diwali with Indian-Americans at the White House Today
