President Joe Biden's recent comments have ignited a political firestorm just days before the election, potentially giving former President Donald Trump a new talking point amid his efforts to deflect controversy from his Madison Square Garden rally. During a virtual event with Voto Latino, Biden sought to address remarks made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe at Trump's rally, where Puerto Rico was referred to as a "floating island of garbage." In what was intended to be a condemnation of Hinchcliffe's rhetoric, Biden instead said, "The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters."
The comment, whether intentional or a slip of the tongue, quickly drew comparisons to Hillary Clinton's infamous "basket of deplorables" remark during the 2016 election, which became a rallying cry for Trump's base. As Biden's remark circulated, the White House scrambled to clarify. A spokesperson noted that the president was referring to the hateful rhetoric, not Trump's supporters themselves. However, the damage may have been done, with Trump's campaign seizing on the gaffe to energize his base and paint Biden as contemptuous of everyday Americans.
The controversy overshadowed Vice President Kamala Harris's planned closing argument speech, which was designed to draw a sharp contrast between her vision for America and Trump's divisive rhetoric. Harris addressed a large crowd at the Ellipse near the White House, reminding voters of Trump's incitement of the January 6 Capitol riot at the same location. "We are not enemies because we disagree," Harris said, taking aim at Trump's polarizing language. However, the Biden comment shifted attention away from her key message of unity and compromise in the face of division.
Trump's campaign wasted no time in leveraging the controversy. In a statement, Trump national press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "Joe Biden and Kamala Harris don't just hate President Trump, they despise the tens of millions of Americans who support him." The statement claimed that Trump's base, which includes Latinos, union workers, and law enforcement officers, had once again been unfairly maligned by Democrats. Trump himself addressed the issue during a campaign stop, downplaying the offensive remarks made at the Madison Square Garden rally and labeling the event a "love fest."
In Pennsylvania, a key battleground state with a significant Puerto Rican population, Biden's remarks are already resonating. Pennsylvania is home to nearly 500,000 Puerto Ricans, many of whom have expressed frustration with how the island is treated by both parties. Trump, who faced severe backlash for his handling of Hurricane Maria's aftermath in Puerto Rico, now finds himself having to repair relations with the community after the Hinchcliffe controversy. Despite this, Biden's comment has given Trump an opportunity to regain lost ground among Puerto Rican voters.
The timing of Biden's remarks could not be worse for the Harris campaign. With the election just days away and polls showing a tight race, any misstep risks swaying undecided voters in critical swing states. Biden, who has been largely absent from the campaign trail after suspending his reelection bid earlier this year, now finds his comments dominating the news cycle, much to the frustration of Harris's campaign. Some of Harris's aides, according to reports, were visibly frustrated by Biden's loose tongue, with one official commenting that they are now in "Do No Harm" mode when it comes to the president's public appearances.
The parallels between Biden's gaffe and Clinton's "deplorables" comment have not gone unnoticed. In 2016, Clinton's remark galvanized Trump's supporters and fueled a narrative that Democrats were out of touch with working-class Americans. Now, Trump's team is hoping to replicate that dynamic. In a fundraising email sent shortly after Biden's remarks, the Trump campaign reminded supporters of Clinton's insult and now Biden's, saying, "FIRST Hillary called you a DEPLORABLE! NOW Biden calls you GARBAGE!"
Despite the fallout, Biden attempted to clarify his comments on social media, writing, "Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump's supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage...His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable." But the clarification may not be enough to quell the controversy in the final stretch of the campaign.
