President Biden raged against “Kill Tony” podcast host Tony Hinchcliffe’s joke about Puerto Rico being a “floating island of garbage” and suggested that was a good description for supporters of former President Donald Trump.
“Donald Trump has no character. He doesn’t give a damn about the Latino community,” Biden said during a campaign call at the White House Tuesday first reported by NBC. “Just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico a floating island of garbage.”
“The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s unAmerican.”
Biden further stressed that Puerto Ricans are “good decent, honorable people.”
White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates insisted that “The president referred to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as ‘garbage.’”
In a transcript of Biden’s comments provided by the White House, his team argued there was intended to be an apostrophe in “supporters.”
“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 transcript read.
Biden, himself, quickly clarified his intention via social media.
“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. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That’s all I meant to say,” he wrote on X.
Democrats and the Harris-Walz campaign had spent two days pummeling Trump over Hinchcliffe’s remark, but Biden’s jab has seemingly given Republicans fresh ammunition.
Moreover, Tuesday evening was when Vice President Kamala Harris’ “closing arguments” speech at the Ellipse took place, but Biden’s comment quickly sucked media oxygen away from the address she hoped would be a last-minute campaign boost.
Trump had distanced himself from Hinchcliffe, who drew widespread, bipartisan backlash for his line about Puerto Rico during his opener at the Madison Square Garden Trump rally on Sunday.
Republican vice presidential hopeful JD Vance quickly hit back at Biden.
“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,” he wrote on X.
“I don’t know him, someone put him up there,” Trump, 78, later told reporters about the jab at Puerto Rico and his campaign previously said the joke didn’t represent its or the former president’s views.
Hinchcliffe has since defended his controversial remark, insisting that it was a joke.
“These people have no sense of humor,” he posted on X amid the controversy. “I love Puerto Rico and vacation there.”
Trump held a campaign rally in Allentown, Pa., Tuesday, which is home to over 34,000 Puerto Ricans. During that rally, he was endorsed by Puerto Rico’s Shadow US Sen. Zoraida Buxó. As shadow senator, Buxó lacks voting power in the upper chamber.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who rallied with Trump in Allentown, blasted Biden’s attack.
“He’s talking about everyday Americans who love their country and want to dream big again and support you, Mr. President,” Rubio said. “And I hope [the Harris] campaign is about to apologize for what Joe Biden just said.”
“We are not garbage. We are patriots. We love America. Thank you for running.”
Trump simply replied, “Wow. That’s terrible.”
His campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt also ripped into Biden’s attack.
“Joe Biden and Kamala Harris hate America and don’t deserve four more years. Kamala must answer for this disgraceful attack on tens of millions of Americans.”
Biden, who has been overshadowed by the 2024 campaign battle between Trump and Harris, riled up backers of the former president last week with a quip about putting him in jail.
“If I said this five years ago, you’d lock me up: We gotta lock him up,” Biden, said during a campaign stop in New Hampshire last week.
Several seconds later, Biden backtracked: “Politically, lock him up — lock him out, that’s what we’ve got to do.”
