US President Joe Biden faced criticism on Tuesday for seemingly referring to Donald Trump’s supporters as “garbage” during a campaign call. The remark came in response to a joke by a speaker at a Trump rally in New York, who called Puerto Rico a floating island of garbage.
In a video call with the nonprofit VotoLatino, Biden said, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” before accusing Trump of demonising Latinos.
The White House clarified Biden’s comments, saying he criticised the rhetoric at Trump’s rally rather than his supporters. “The President referred to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as ‘garbage,’” said White House spokesperson Andrew Bates.
Trump, who is in a close race against Vice President Kamala Harris, condemned Biden’s words as “terrible.” The Republican candidate likened Biden’s comments to Hillary Clinton’s “deplorables” remark from 2016, suggesting “garbage” was even more offensive.
Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance, also condemned the statement, calling it “disgusting.”