Biden labels Trump backers as ‘garbage’


(MENAFN) During a recent Zoom call organized by the Hispanic advocacy group Voto Latino, President Joe Biden stirred controversy by labeling supporters of Republican presidential candidate Donald trump as "garbage." The comment came as he was addressing the fallout from a joke made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who compared Puerto Rico to “a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean.” Biden initially referred to a speaker at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally who echoed similar sentiments, asserting that Puerto Ricans are “good, decent honorable people.”

Biden expressed his outrage over the remarks made at the rally, stating, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters.” He condemned the speaker’s characterization of Puerto Ricans as “unconscionable” and “un-American,” emphasizing that such rhetoric contradicts the values the nation stands for. He further accused Trump of attempting to "divide the country based on race," while asserting that Vice President Kamala Harris would be a president for all Americans.

Following the backlash from his comments, Biden took to social media platform X to clarify his statement. He explained that he was specifically condemning the hateful rhetoric directed at Puerto Rico by Trump’s supporters, stating, “That’s all I meant to say. The comments at that rally don’t reflect who we are as a nation.”

Biden's remarks were met with swift condemnation from Trump's allies. Republican Senator Marco Rubio criticized the president's choice of words, arguing that he was insulting everyday Americans who love their country. Rubio called for the Harris campaign to issue an apology, stating, “We are not garbage; we are patriots who love America,” during a Trump rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

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