Donald Trump during a rally Wednesday hit back at remarks made by President Biden in which he appeared to disparage the former president's supporters, telling the crowd, "They've treated you like garbage."
“This week, Kamala has been comparing her political opponents to the most evil mass murderers in history, and now, speaking on a call for her campaign last night, Joe Biden finally said what he and Kamala really think of our supporters,” Trump said during a rally in Rocky Mount, N.C.
“He called them 'garbage,' and they mean it, even though, without question, my supporters are far higher quality than crooked Joe,” he continued.
Biden sparked anger from Republicans after he spoke Tuesday on a campaign call with Voto Latino and appeared to refer to Trump's supporters as "garbage." The White House later argued the comment had been misinterpreted, and Vice President Harris on Wednesday told reporters that Biden had clarified his remarks, and that she didn't agree with the sentiment he was accused of expressing.
A transcript released by the White House included an apostrophe with "supporter's," suggesting Biden had been referring to the rhetoric of comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, whose joke about Puerto Rico was Biden had just referenced.
“And just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico a ‘floating island of garbage,’" Biden said on the call, according to the transcript. "Well, let me tell you something. I don't — I — I don't know the Puerto Rican that — that I know — or a Puerto Rico, where I'm fr — in my home state of Delaware, they're good, decent, honorable people."
“The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporter’s — his, his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it's un-American,” he continued. “It's totally contrary to everything we've done, everything we've been.”
Biden also released a statement on social platform X in an effort to clarify his remarks.
“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," he said. "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.”
But Republicans expressed their anger over the remarks, arguing he had insulted supporters of the former president.
“My response to Joe and Kamala is very simple: You can't lead America if you don't love Americans,” Trump said.
Trump sought to tie Biden’s comments to Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and told his supporters, “You are not subhuman.”
“We know it's what they believe, because look how they've treated you. They've treated you like garbage, frankly. They've treated you like garbage.”
