US President Joe Biden has inadvertently thrust himself back into the political spotlight just a week before the US Presidential Elections following his comments during a virtual event defending Puerto Ricans, CNN reported on Wednesday.
His remarks, made in response to a comedian’s derogatory comment about Puerto Rico at a Donald Trump rally, have opened a door for Trump to shift focus away from his own controversial campaign tactics. Biden criticised the comedian’s description of Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage,” asserting that the people of Puerto Rico are “good, decent, and honourable.” However, his defence sparked a political uproar, detracting from Vice President Kamala Harris’s key closing speech on Tuesday evening, CNN reported.
“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, honourable people,” Biden said during his virtual remarks in a get-out-the-vote call meant to help Harris.
“The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” Biden said, adding, “His demonisation of Latinos is unconscionable and it’s un-American.”
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The White House quickly attempted to clarify Biden’s remarks, stating he was referring to the “hateful rhetoric” at the Trump rally rather than the former president’s supporters. Biden himself took to social media to explain that his use of “garbage” referred to the comments made about Puerto Rico, not to Trump’s supporters, as reported by CNN.
“Earlier today, I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporters at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage–which is the only word I can think of to describe it. His demonisation 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,” Biden wrote on X.
Biden’s remarks drew immediate parallels to Hillary Clinton’s infamous “basket of deplorables” comment in 2016, which became a rallying cry for Trump and his supporters. In the aftermath, Harris felt compelled to address the controversy on Wednesday, emphasising her belief in representing all voters, regardless of their political affiliations, CNN reported.
“Listen, I think, first of all, he clarified his comments, but let me be clear: I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for,” the Democratic nominee said. “You heard my speech last night and continuously throughout my career. I believe that the work that I do is about representing all the people, whether they support me or not,” Harris said.
“I am sincere in what I mean: when elected president of the United States, I will represent all Americans, including those who don’t vote for me, and address their needs and their desires,” she added.
However, Trump wasted no time seizing upon Biden’s comments. At a rally, he referenced Biden’s words, suggesting they were worse than Clinton’s, and positioned his campaign as one that welcomes diverse support from various demographic groups. The Trump campaign quickly framed Biden’s remarks as indicative of a broader disdain for his supporters, as reported by CNN.
“Wow. That’s terrible. That’s what it says. That’s what it says. 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 said.