Biden Refers to Trump Supporters as ‘Garbage’ Before White House Quickly Walks It Back

President Joe Biden referred to supporters of former President Donald Trump as “garbage” on Tuesday night, and the White House quickly walked the comment back.

The remarks were delivered from the White House just before Vice President Kamala Harris pitched national unity at the nearby Ellipse in what was billed as her closing argument to voters.

According to Politico, Biden was remotely addressing Latino voters when he offered a “stinging rebuke of the racist rhetoric aimed at Puerto Rico during Donald Trump’s weekend rally.”

CNN obtained a clip of the remarks in which Biden said:

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.

In a statement about Biden’s comment, White House Senior Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates told Mediaite’s Tommy Christopher, “The President referred to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as garbage.”

Biden also later took to X, formerly Twitter, to address the comment:

Roast comedian Tony Hinchcliffe was one of several speakers who opened Trump’s New York City rally Sunday. Hinchcliffe told a joke about Puerto Rico that sparked an immediate backlash.

“Republicans are the party with a good sense of humor,” Hinchcliffe said at the rally. “I don’t know if you guys know this, but there is literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico?”

Watch above via CNN.