President Biden Says ‘Garbage’ Comment Directed at Rally Speaker, Not Trump Supporters

President Biden appeared to call supporters of Donald Trump “garbage,” but later attempted to clarify his remark as referring specifically to the pro-Trump comedian at the Republican candidate’s New York rally who called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.”

In a video addressing Latino voters released Tuesday, Biden said, “Just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico a ‘floating island of garbage,’” referring to the offensive comment made by Tony Hinchcliffe at Trump’s Oct. 27 rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Biden then said, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters — his, his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American.”

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After an outcry among Republicans about Biden’s “garbage” comment, the White House issued a transcript of the president’s remarks indicating that he said “his supporter’s… demonization of Latinos” (referring to Hinchcliffe’s “joke”). Nevertheless, conservatives eagerly likened Biden’s comment to Hillary Clinton’s gaffe in 2016 when she labeled Trump supporters a “basket of deplorables.”

On Tuesday evening, Biden attempted to clear the air in a post on social media: “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. 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.”

Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin were among the notable industry figures who voiced their support for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris after Hinchcliffe’s comment went viral.