Vice President Kamala Harris defended President Joe Biden, but told reporters “I strongly disagree” with the idea of calling former President Donald Trump’s supporters “garbage.”
President Biden touched off a firestorm Tuesday night with a comment during a Zoom call that was widely interpreted as calling Trump supporters “garbage”:
And just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.” 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 from– in my home state of Delaware, they’re good, decent, honorable people.The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters– his– his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American. It’s totally contrary to everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been.
The White House immediately clarified, in a statement to Mediaite, that “The President referred to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as garbage.”
Biden himself later clarified as well:
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. The comments at that rally don’t reflect who we are as a nation.
On Wednesday morning,
Harris noted Biden’s clarification, and said she strongly disagrees with the premise of criticizing people based on who they vote for:
Watch above via C-SPAN.