Biden seeks to clean up ‘garbage’ comment about Trump supporters denigrating Latinos

(CNN) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday tried to clean up comments he made earlier that sparked immediate backlash from many who interpreted them as referring to supporters of former President Donald Trump as “garbage.”

Speaking during a Voto Latino get out-the-vote call, Biden — in reaction to Trump’s offensive rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday — said, “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,” Biden said, pausing for a moment before continuing. “His, his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable and it’s un-American. It’s totally contrary to everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been.”

Biden’s comments drew swift backlash online, with Republicans immediately connecting them to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 remark that half of Trump’s supporters were “deplorables.” Biden’s remarks came just as Vice President Kamala Harris was set to take the stage for a major rally in Washington, DC.

“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,” Biden posted on X later that evening. “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.”

When CNN asked for an explanation on the president’s comments, a White House spokesperson insisted that Biden had meant “supporter’s” rather than “supporters,” arguing that he had actually said this: “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporter’s – his – his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American.”

“The President referred to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as garbage,” White House spokesman Andrew Bates said.

Trump was informed of Biden’s remarks during his rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania, when Florida Sen. Marco Rubio ran on stage, saying, “You might not have heard this. Just moments ago. Joe Biden stated that our supporters are garbage.”

Trump said, “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?”

His campaign soon blasted out a fundraising email using Biden’s comments, with the subject line, “You are not garbage! I love you! You are the best our nation has to offer.”

And Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded in a statement claiming that Biden and Harris “despise the tens of millions of Americans who support him,” while Trump “will be a president for ALL Americans.”

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance also seized on Biden’s comments. “This is disgusting. Kamala Harris and her boss Joe Biden are attacking half of the country. There’s no excuse for this. I hope Americans reject it,” the Ohio senator posted on X.

As CNN reported earlier Tuesday, Biden’s role in the final weeks of the election has been moved even further out of the spotlight as recent campaign trail gaffes prompted a range of responses – from eyerolls to outright anger – from some Harris campaign aides.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro — an ally of Harris — said he hadn’t heard Biden’s comments until asked to respond by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on “The Source,” but he added, “I would never insult the good people of Pennsylvania or any Americans even if they chose to support a candidate that I didn’t support.”

Responding to the White House’s attempt to explain the remarks, Shapiro said, “I think President Biden will decide what he wants to say. It’s certainly not words that I would choose, and I think it’s important that we remain focused on the contrast between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump and not attacking supporters of either candidate.”

On Tuesday’s call, Biden also criticized Trump’s character when trying to make the case for Harris.

“Donald Trump has no character, he doesn’t give a damn about the Latino community. He’s a failed businessman and he only cares about the billionaire friends he has,” Biden said, calling the former president “a true danger.”

“He’s a true danger, to not just Latinos, but to all people, particularly those who are in a minority in this country. You know, we have to vote to elect Kamala as president. Tim Walz as vice president. It’s never been more important,” Biden said.

In the days since his New York City rally, Trump’s campaign has tried to distance itself from comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who who made the remark about Puerto Rico. Hinchcliffe, like the other speakers, was an invited guest. “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,” Trump campaign spokesperson Danielle Alvarez said in a statement Sunday.

But the vulgar and racist rhetoric at the rally has prompted finger-pointing within the former president’s inner circle and deep concern that his message was once again eclipsed by controversy.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

CNN’s Gregory Krieg, Steve Contorno, Kristen Holmes and Jack Rogers contributed to this report.

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