Washington DC [US], October 31, 2024: Just a week before the U.S. Presidential Elections, President Joe Biden’s defense of Puerto Ricans at a virtual event has sparked controversy, inadvertently placing him at the center of political debate. Responding to a comedian’s disparaging comments about Puerto Rico at a Donald Trump rally, Biden condemned the statements, drawing both praise and criticism as former President Trump seized the opportunity to redirect attention from his own campaign tactics, CNN reported on Wednesday.
During a get-out-the-vote event, Biden addressed the comedian’s description of Puerto Rico as “a floating island of garbage,” countering that Puerto Ricans are “good, decent, and honorable people.” His defense, however, overshadowed Vice President Kamala Harris’s key closing speech on Tuesday night, as Biden’s remarks quickly dominated headlines. “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” Biden added, denouncing Trump’s rhetoric as “unconscionable and un-American.”
The White House moved swiftly to clarify, explaining that Biden’s comments targeted the “hateful rhetoric” at Trump’s rally, rather than the former president’s supporters. Biden himself took to social media, explaining that his use of “garbage” specifically referred to the derogatory comments about Puerto Rico, not to Trump’s base. “Earlier today, I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporters…His demonisation of Latinos is unconscionable,” Biden wrote on X.
Biden’s statements drew immediate parallels to Hillary Clinton’s infamous “basket of deplorables” remark in 2016, which became a rallying cry for Trump supporters. Addressing the fallout, Harris emphasized her dedication to serving all Americans regardless of their political affiliations, stating, “I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for. I believe that the work that I do is about representing all the people, whether they support me or not.”
Meanwhile, Trump capitalized on Biden’s comments, suggesting they were “worse” than Clinton’s “deplorables” remark. At a rally, Trump framed Biden’s words as evidence of broader disdain for Trump supporters. “Wow. That’s terrible… Hillary said ‘deplorable,’ and that didn’t work out. ‘Garbage,’ I think, is worse, right?” Trump said, positioning his campaign as one that embraces diverse support from various demographic groups.
