Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has distanced herself from a controversial remark from her boss, President Joe Biden, who described fans of her Republican rival, Donald Trump, as 'garbage.'
"I think that, first of all, he clarified his comments. But let me be clear: I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for. You heard my speech last night and continuously throughout my career," Vice President Harris told reporters Wednesday.
I think the work that I do is about representing all the people, whether they support me or not. As president of the United States, I will be a president for all Americans, whether you vote for me or not," she said answering a question on Biden's comparison of Trump supporters to trash.
Biden was referring to the racist joke comedian had at a Trump rally days earlier describing Puerto Rico as an "island of garbage.".
The only garbage I can see floating out there are his (Trump's) supporters, demonizing the Latinos is absolutely unconscionable, and un-American. Totally contrary to everything we have done and everything we've been, Biden said on a Tuesday campaign call to Latino voters.
"Just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico a 'floating island of garbage'. Well, let me tell you something. I don't know the Puerto Rican 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.
Former president Donald Trump, who was campaigning in Allentown on Tuesday, said Vice President Joe Biden's labeling of his supporters "garbage" was a terrible insult, much like Hillary Clinton's "deplorables," as she described some Trump voters in 2016.
"So, you have to remember Hillary [Clinton]–she said 'deplorable' and then she said 'irredeemable'. Donald Trump said. "Garbage" I think is worse," he added.
Later, in a damage control exercise, Biden tried to explain 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," said Biden.
But the president capitalized on the same thing as he took a photo-op with a garbage truck on Wednesday in Wisconsin. "How do you like my garbage truck? This truck is in honour of Kamala and Joe Biden," he told reporters.
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