President Biden’s “garbage” remark about Trump supporters has stirred the political landscape, and Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the controversy for the first time on Wednesday.
Biden made his comment during a Zoom call with Voto Latino, a leading Latino voter outreach organization. Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force Two, Harris said Biden had “clarified his comments.”
“I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for,” Harris stated. “You’ve heard me say this throughout my career. I believe the work I do is about representing all people, whether they support me or not.”
Harris also noted that Biden called her after the event, though she said they didn’t discuss his “garbage” remark.
During the Zoom call, Biden responded to a question about a comment made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe at a Trump rally, where he referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.” Outrage followed from Democrats, who denounced the remark.
Biden, addressing the comment, said, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters. [Trump’s] demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it is un-American.” Later, Biden tweeted, “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 comments at that rally don’t reflect who we are as a nation.”
On “Good Morning America,” Walz stated, “The president’s clarified his remarks, but let’s be very clear. The vice president and I want everyone to feel part of this. Trump’s divisive rhetoric is what needs to end. What you heard Vice President Harris say, and what I say, is there’s a place for all of us. She’s running for president with a message that reflects who we can be as a country.”
Harris campaign senior adviser Stephanie Cutter told MSNBC, “The president clarified, but the vice president has been clear that her presidency is about all Americans. When she’s president, she won’t care who you voted for. Spare me the faux outrage from Trump, JD Vance, and his campaign. Trump’s supporters disparaged Puerto Rican Americans and all Latinos, so spare me the faux outrage.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for further comment. Harris had responded to Hinchcliffe’s remarks within hours, tweeting her disapproval at 9:53 p.m. Sunday.
Meanwhile, many top Republicans, like Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Florida Sen. Rick Scott, have stayed quiet since Biden’s controversial remark, which, based on Trump’s 74.2 million votes in 2020, implies nearly half the country’s voters were labeled as “garbage” by the president.
