While Vice President Kamala Harris did not rebuke President Joe Biden, she did distance herself from his “garbage” comment.
Speaking with reporters before boarding Air Force Two, Harris said on Wednesday, “First of all, he clarified his comments. But let me be clear: I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for.”
“You heard my speech last night. I believe the work that I do is about representing all the people, whether they support me or not,” she said. “I will be a president for all Americans.
The Democratic presidential nominee indicated she spoke with Biden on Tuesday night but the comment did not come up.
Watch Harris’ remarks below:
The White House and President himself are trying to clean up after President Joe Biden’s recent comment, as IJR reported on.
Biden spoke in a Zoom call with the organization Voto Latino on Tuesday, where he appeared to call former President Donald Trump’s supporters “garbage.”
“Donald Trump has no character,” Biden suggested, adding, “He doesn’t give a damn about the Latino community. He’s failed a businessman. He only cares about the billionaire friends he had and accumulated wealth for those at the top.”
Responding to a comment made by comic Tony Hinchcliffe during Trump’s rally on Sunday at Madison Square Garden, Biden continued: “Puerto Rico, where I’m in my home state of Delaware. They’re good, decent, honorable people. The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters. His demonization is seen as unconscionable, and it’s un-American.”
After drawing backlash, Biden posted to X later Tuesday: “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.”
The White House also tried to clean up after Biden’s comment, claiming the president “referred to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as ‘garbage,’” as White House spokesman Andrew Bates put it.
Additionally, the White House issued a transcript of Biden’s remarks initially reading “supporters,” per The Washington Post. Hours later, a new transcript was provided, claiming Biden said, “supporter’s” — which seemed to refer to the comedian.
Former President Donald Trump’s campaign, however, tore into Biden. “There’s no way to spin it: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris don’t just hate President Trump, they despise the tens of millions of Americans who support him,” Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
Trump also responded on X, writing, “While I am running a campaign of positive solutions to save America, Kamala Harris is running a campaign of hate.”
He added: “Now, on top of everything, Joe Biden calls our supporters ‘garbage.’ You can’t lead America if you don’t love the American People. Kamala Harris and Joe Biden have shown they are both unfit to be President of the United States.”
