Harris distances self from Biden’s ‘garbage’ comments
Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris sought to distance herself on Wednesday from comments made by President Joe Biden, in which he appeared to refer to Republican Donald Trump’s supporters as “garbage.”
Biden sparked controversy with his remarks during a campaign call on Tuesday, addressing a dispute that arose after one of Trump’s warm-up speakers at a New York rally referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.”
“Listen, I think he clarified his comments,” Vice President Harris told reporters at Joint Base Andrews when asked about Biden’s words.
“But let me be clear: I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for.”
As she returned to the campaign trail, Harris, 60, emphasized her commitment to being a “president for all Americans, whether you vote for me or not.”
At a campaign stop in Raleigh, North Carolina, Harris stated, “Unlike Donald Trump, I don’t believe people who disagree with me are the enemy.”
Republicans seized on Biden’s comments, which threatened to overshadow a significant election speech by Harris outside the White House on Tuesday, where she called for unity in contrast to the chaos and division she attributed to Trump.
“Biden finally said what he and Kamala really think of our supporters,” Trump said at a rally in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. “You can’t lead America if you don’t love Americans.”
The controversy surrounding Biden’s remarks, especially given that the 81-year-old president dropped out of the White House race in July, highlighted his increasing marginalization from the Harris campaign.
U.S. media reports indicate that Harris’s aides are concerned that Biden could be an electoral liability, leading them to reject his suggestions for joint appearances on the campaign trail.
Some Democratic lawmakers from districts with significant Republican constituencies have also felt compelled to distance themselves from the controversy.
“Any elected official or candidate who calls Americans or America ‘garbage’ is flat-out wrong,” stated Representative Jared Golden.
“We don’t need leaders to add fuel to partisan fires that are dividing us,” said Golden, who is facing a tough reelection race in northeastern Maine.
Biden made his controversial comments during a video call with the nonprofit VotoLatino, which quickly went viral.
“The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” Biden stated. “His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable and un-American.”
Later, Biden clarified on X, formerly Twitter, that he was “referring to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter” — singular.
“That’s all I meant to say,” he added.
In response, the White House released a transcript claiming Biden had said “supporter’s” instead of “supporters,” attempting to support his assertion that he was referring specifically to comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s remarks at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally.
Proofreading by Uchechi Ojo, Sub-editor at NeptunePrime.
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