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Harris “strongly” disagrees with criticism of people “based on who they vote for,” after Biden’s “garbage” comment
Vice President Kamala Harris says she “strongly” disagrees with “any criticism of people based on who they vote for,” after President Biden on Tuesday made remarks in which he appeared to call Trump supporters “garbage” on a video call with Latino activists. Republicans seized on the comment, while the White House offered a different explanation of what Mr. Biden had said, and the president tweeted a clarification of his comment.
“Let me be clear, I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for,” Harris told reporters Wednesday morning, when she was asked about Mr. Biden’s “garbage” comment. “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. And as president of the United States, I will be a president for all Americans, whether you vote for me or not.”
News of the president’s remark spread rapidly shortly after Harris delivered her closing argument before a massive crowd near the White House Tuesday night, in which she called for unity and vowed to work with independents and Republicans, as well as Democrats, to help improve Americans’ lives.
In a video call with Latino activists Tuesday evening, the president was responding to a joke made at a Trump rally Sunday at Madison Square Garden by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, in which Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.”
“The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” he seemed to say, according to video of the call. “His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable.”
But the White House denied that the president had said this about Trump supporters and released a transcript with a statement saying that “supporters” was in fact “supporter’s,” and Mr. Biden was referring to Hinchcliffe and his joke. Mr. Biden clarified his remarks later Tuesday evening.
“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,” the president said in a statement. “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.”
The backlash against the president’s comments was immediate, particularly among Republicans and conservatives. But Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a key Harris surrogate, also distanced himself from the president’s comments.
“I had not heard that until now, Kaitlan, so I’m kind of giving you my fresh reaction to it,” Shapiro told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins in response to the clip of the president’s comments. “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.”
Trump, Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz are all campaigning in North Carolina Wednesday, as early voting continues in may states. By Wednesday morning, more than 55 million Americans had voted early.
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CBS News
Democrats and Republicans in tight races seize on comments stemming from “garbage” joke at Trump rally
In the home stretch of the 2024 election, after a racist comment at a Trump rally comparing Puerto Rico to garbage, both parties are trying to fan political flames to burn the opposition on congressional races, in addition to the presidential contest.
In the hours after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe told a racist joke about Puerto Ricans at a rally for former President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Democrats circulated a list of competitive U.S. House races in which people of Puerto Rican descent make up large percentages of the electorate.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Republican operatives have tried to seize on a gaffe by President Biden, in which he used the term “garbage” to describe the Trump supporter who made the racist joke. But Republicans have accused Mr. Biden of instead referring to all Trump supporters as “garbage” and are trying to tie Democratic congressional candidates to their accusation regarding the president’s words.
The dual controversies are being amplified and shifting the closing messages in the final few days before Election Day, amid highly competitive contests for control of the Senate and House.
According to a memo obtained by CBS News from Democratic campaign operatives, more than 10% of registered voters in Pennsylvania’s competitive 7th District House race are people of Puerto Rican descent. The memo also said at least 4% of registered voters have ties to Puerto Rico in a three competitive House races in New York, two more in Pennsylvania and at least one each in Florida and Connecticut.
Leaning into the Madison Square Garden rally controversy, Rep. Susie Lee, a Pennsylvania Democrat defending the battleground 7th Congressional District in and around Allentown, has already raised the issue. Speaking to the Philadelphia Inquirer, “I am hearing more on this than I’ve heard on almost any other issue this entire campaign season.”
On Long Island, in New York’s competitive 4th District House race, Democratic candidate Laura Gillen amplified the firestorm over the racist joke Tuesday. Rep. Nydia Valazquez, a New York Democrat who was born in Puerto Rico, who was speaking at a Gillen campaign event for small businesses, referenced the controversy and joke.
Fighting to hold a competitive seat in Western Connecticut, Democratic Rep. Jahanna Hayes posted on social media, “Every person, not just the Puerto Rican community, should be saddened and upset by the behavior of the Trump rally at MSG.”
Republicans meanwhile are seeking to magnify President Biden’s potential gaffe from Tuesday.
“The President of the United States just smeared half of the country – House Democrats can speak up now to disagree, or their silence will say everything voters need to know,” GOP North Carolina Rep. Richard Hudson, who chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in a statement.
Rep. Marc Molinaro, a first-term Republican who’s trying to defend his New York 19th Congressional District seat, posted on social media about Biden’s statement. Molinaro wrote in part, “Biden says if you don’t support Kamala Harris, you are garbage.”
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Democrats and Republicans in tight races seize on comments stemming from “garbage” joke at Trump rally
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