"Supporters" or "supporter's"? Biden remark about Trump "garbage" rally angers GOP

President Biden reinserted himself into nan contentious campaign to win him, appearing to telephone erstwhile President Donald Trump's supporters "garbage" connected a video telephone pinch Latino activists Tuesday evening. Republicans seized connected nan comments, while nan White House offered a different mentation of what Mr. Biden said.

The president was responding to a joke made astatine a Trump rally Sunday astatine Madison Square Garden by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, successful which Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a "floating land of garbage." 

In nan video clip obtained by CBS News, it sounded for illustration Mr. Biden, who was speaking by video to left-leaning group Voto Latino, mightiness beryllium denouncing Trump supporters arsenic "garbage." 

"The only garbage I spot floating retired location is his supporters," he seemed to say. "His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable."

But nan White House denied that nan president had said this astir Trump supporters and released a transcript pinch a connection noting that "supporters" was successful truth "supporter's," and Mr. Biden was referring to Hinchcliffe and his joke.

A White House transcript says this is what Mr. Biden said: "And conscionable nan different day, a speaker astatine his rally called Puerto Rico a "floating land of garbage."  Well, fto maine show you something.  I don't — I — I don't cognize nan Puerto Rican that — that I cognize —or a Puerto Rico, wherever I'm fr— successful my location authorities of Delaware, they're good, decent, honorable people. The only garbage I spot floating retired location is his supporter's — his — his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it's un-American.  It's wholly contrary to everything we've done, everything we've been."

"The President referred to nan hateful rhetoric astatine nan Madison Square Garden rally arsenic 'garbage,'" White House lawman property caput Andrew Bates said successful a statement. 

Republicans seized connected nan video — Florida GOP Sen. Marco Rubio, who was appearing pinch Trump astatine his rally successful Allentown, Pennsylvania, Tuesday night, told nan crowd astir Mr. Biden's comments and demanded nan president apologize.

Trump responded saying, "Garbage, I think, is worse," and compared nan remark to a past connection made by Hillary Clinton successful 2016, erstwhile she referred to half of Trump's supporters arsenic a "basket of deplorables." Trump added it was "terrible to opportunity a point for illustration that."

"Please forgive him, for he not knoweth what he said," Trump said of Mr. Biden jokingly, arsenic his supporters screamed "No!"

The comments — and hasty attempts by nan president's aides to explain his words — propose a partisan-fueled statement complete syntax could predominate nan last days of a run pinch less than 200 hours to go.

And they whitethorn service arsenic a late-stage gift to Trump, who spent much than a twelvemonth attacking nan intelligence and beingness fittingness of nan president, only to spot his strategy upended by Harris' abrupt ascension to nan race. In caller weeks, Trump has seized connected Harris' trouble answering questions astir really she'd beryllium different than Mr. Biden. She's since said successful interviews that "of course" her presidency would beryllium different than her boss'.

Trump besides sent a fundraising entreaty to supporters: "KAMALA'S BOSS JOE BIDEN JUST CALLED ALL MY SUPPORTERS GARBAGE!…YOU ARE AMAZING!"

President Biden clarified his remark successful a post connected X later Tuesday night. 

"Earlier coming I referred to nan hateful rhetoric astir Puerto Rico spewed by Trump's protagonist astatine his Madison Square Garden rally arsenic garbage — which is nan only connection I tin deliberation of to picture it. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable," Mr. Biden wrote. "That's each I meant to say. The comments astatine that rally don't bespeak who we are arsenic a nation." 

The brouhaha occurred connected nan aforesaid nighttime Vice President Kamala Harris delivered her closing statement for nan campaign. She held up Trump arsenic a fig who would only deepen divisions successful America if he's elected and vowed to activity pinch each — Democrats, Republicans and independents — connected improving nan lives of Americans.

Several Harris run aides did not reply to requests for remark precocious Tuesday.

Pennsylvania Governor and Harris surrogate Josh Shapiro told CNN, "I would ne'er reproach nan bully group of Pennsylvania aliases immoderate Americans moreover if they chose to support a campaigner I didn't support."

Hinchcliffe's remarks astatine nan Trump rally, which besides included violative jokes astir Black group and Latinos, were met pinch swift backlash, pinch respective celebrities coming retired successful defense of Puerto Rico and Latinos successful nan U.S. and voicing their support for Harris' scheme for nan island. Among those who weighed successful were Jennifer Lopez, Ariana DeBose and Ricky Martin. Martin, pinch complete 18  cardinal followers, took to Instagram and posted, "Puerto Rico, this is what they deliberation of us, ballot for Kamala Harris." 

Trump, for his part, besides said Tuesday that he did not cognize who Hinchcliffe was and was unaware of nan joke he had made. "It's nobody's fault, but personification said immoderate bad things," he told Fox News' Sean Hannity. "I don't cognize if it's a large woody aliases not, but I don't want anybody making nasty jokes aliases stupid jokes. Probably he shouldn't person been there," Trump added. His run said nan jokes were not reviewed aliases pre-approved by nan campaign. 

In:
• Joe Biden
• Donald Trump
• Tony Hinchcliffe