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The focus was supposed to be on Kamala Harris’s “closing argument” speech Tuesday night, but Joe Biden’s controversial remarks about Trump supporters have taken center stage.
Whether Biden intentionally disrupted Harris’s message or simply let slip his true feelings, we may never know. But his comments were a central topic in Wednesday’s White House Daily Press Briefing, where Karine Jean-Pierre was questioned on the issue.
A reporter asked, “Can you address the president’s comments yesterday referring to Trump supporters as ‘garbage’? Does he think less of Americans who support Trump than he does of those who don’t? And why is he using that kind of rhetoric? How is that presidential?”
Jean-Pierre, following the White House’s explanation for Biden’s remarks, insisted that he did not mean to call Trump supporters “garbage.”
“He does not view Trump supporters or anybody who supports Trump as garbage,” she said. “The president has said this for more than three years now… he is a president for all… and it doesn’t matter who you voted for… he is a president for all. But hateful rhetoric he hears… he will call that out.”
This echoed what Harris campaign senior adviser Stephanie Cutter told MSNBC: “The president did clarify what he was talking about, but the vice president has been clear that her campaign, her presidency is about all Americans,” Cutter said. “And, you know, when she’s president, she’s not going to care who you voted for.”
The coordination between the Harris-Walz campaign and the White House on their responses was clear, but Jean-Pierre’s defense still didn’t seem to satisfy everyone.
One reporter pressed further: “Does he have any regret for not being more specific… if you were any sort of normal person listening to that video or looking at the clips online, you could come to the conclusion that he was calling, at minimum, this one man [Trump] ‘garbage,’ or if not, all Trump supporters ‘garbage.’ Does he have any regret how this has shadowed Vice President Harris’s campaign?”
Jean-Pierre responded, “He [Biden] understood that what he said was being taken out of context… he was talking about hateful rhetoric.”
Another reporter highlighted that Hillary Clinton’s “deplorables” comment in 2016 had similarly backfired and asked if there was concern Biden’s remarks might have the same effect.
Regardless of the White House’s interpretation, many believe Biden’s words were clear. This reflects what many think Democrats truly believe about Trump supporters — and a Harris victory might only affirm that.
