Biden's remark ignites political storm over 'garbage' comment

Biden indeed used the word "garbage" during a meeting with voters on the Zoom platform.

And just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico ‘a floating island of garbage.’ Well, let me tell you something … I don’t know the Puerto Rican that I know… or Puerto Rico where I’m – in my home state of Delaware – they’re good, decent, honorable people, The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters. His, his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable and it’s un-American, he added.

The president and the White House assert that by saying "garbage," he meant comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who at one of Trump’s rallies referred to Puerto Rico as a "floating island of garbage". It was intended as an expression of condemnation of such "hateful rhetoric."

However, the president's words were immediately picked up by Republicans, including Donald Trump himself. He referred to them during a speech in Pennsylvania. He recalled Hillary Clinton's 2016 words when she referred to some Trump supporters as "deplorables."

So you have, remember Hillary, she said ‘deplorable’ and then she said irredeemable, right? But she said deplorable, that didn’t work out. Garbage I think is worse, right?, Trump addressed the voters.

Vice-presidential candidate J.D. Vance stated that Biden "is attacking half the country." "Madam Vice President, @KamalaHarris, when President Biden called Trump supporters "garbage" moments ago, did he mean older people, like my parents? Or younger people, like my children, nephews, and nieces?" Senator Mike Lee from Utah wrote on X.

Independent experts note that this statement could harm Kamala Harris, the Democratic Presidential Candidate.

Trump commented on the situation on his platform Truth Social, accusing Kamala Harris of running a "hate campaign."

She has spent all week comparing her political opponents to the most evil mass murderers in history. Now, on top of everything, Joe Biden calls our supporters 'garbage', he wrote.

You can’t lead America if you don’t love the American People, Trump added.

The presidential elections in the USA will take place on Tuesday, 5th November 2024. The winner will assume office on 20th January 2025, in accordance with the inauguration tradition.

In these elections, the main candidates will be:

1. Kamala Harris – the current Vice President of the United States, running as the Democratic Party candidate. Harris replaced Joe Biden as the main candidate after Biden announced his withdrawal from the race in July 2024.
2. Donald Trump – the former president representing the Republican Party. Trump announced his candidacy back in November 2022 and has since been actively campaigning to return to the White House.