Is Joe Biden's 'Garbage' Comment Kamala Harris' 'Deplorables' Moment?
Published Oct 30, 2024 at 10:25 AM EDT Updated Oct 30, 2024 at 12:57 PM EDT
By Khaleda Rahman National Correspondent
President Joe Biden's remark apparently calling Donald Trump's supporters "garbage" quickly brought a backlash, but experts told Newsweek it is unlikely to have much of an impact on the election.
The president made the comment in response to a comedian who called Puerto Rico a "floating island of garbage" at Trump's Madison Square Garden rally in New York City, where some speakers made crude and racist remarks on Sunday.
Puerto Ricans are "good, decent honorable people," Biden said on a call organized by Voto Latino, a grassroots advocacy organization, on Tuesday.
"The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters," he said in a reference to Trump, according to the White House transcript of Biden's remarks. "His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it's un- American."
White House spokesman Andrew Bates told Newsweek that Biden was referring "to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as 'garbage.'"
Biden also took to social media to clarify his remarks. "Earlier today, I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump's [supporters] at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage — which is the only word I can think of to describe it," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). "His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That's all I meant to say."
Trump and others have compared the remark to then-Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's comment in 2016 that half of Trump's supporters could be placed in a "basket of deplorables" during a private fundraiser. Her remark became a rallying cry for many of Trump's supporters.
In September, Clinton acknowledged in an opinion piece in The Washington Post that her choice of words had been "unfortunate and bad politics." But she added that "'deplorable' is too kind a word for the hate and violent extremism we've seen from some Trump supporters."
Trump and his campaign have sought to tie Biden's "garbage" comment to Vice President Kamala Harris, who is trying to win over a broad base of voters—including moderate Republicans—ahead of November's election. "I pledge to be a president for all Americans and to always put country above party and self," she said in a speech billed as her campaign's closing argument at the Ellipse, near the White House, on Tuesday night.
She told reporters on Wednesday that she "strongly" disagrees with "any criticism of people based on who they vote for" and noted that Biden had clarified his remarks. "You've heard my speech last night and continuously throughout my career. I believe that the work I do is about representing all the people, whether they support me or not," she said.
Costas Panagopoulos, a political science professor at Northeastern University, said Biden's remark is unlikely to have the impact that Clinton's did in 2016.
"The MAGA base is already locked in. This is unlikely to have much impact with them," he told Newsweek.
"Biden has already walked back his comment, but perhaps more importantly, and unlike Hillary Clinton in 2016, he is not the candidate," he continued. "Campaigns can still be held to account for what surrogates say and do on the trail, but only to a certain extent. Ultimately, the candidates' words and actions matter much more."
Grant Davis Reeher, a political science professor at Syracuse University, said Biden's comment did remind him of Clinton's "deplorables" remark.
"But at this point, given all we've heard from both sides for eight years, from 's***hole countries' to 'fascist' and 'Hitler,' I don't think this adds anything new," he told Newsweek.
"Most voters are discounting Biden at this point and focusing on Harris. So more than anything else I think it's just another moment to file in the political polarization and dysfunctional political dialogue folder. Given the context, this does not rise to an October surprise event," Reeher said.
Biden's comment "was highly ill-advised, to put it mildly," Thomas Gift, an associate professor of political science and director of the Centre on U.S. Politics at University College London, told Newsweek.
"Still, it's doubtful the comment will have a big negative impact on Kamala Harris' electoral chances," he continued. "The difference with Hillary Clinton's 'basket of deplorables' remark in 2016 was that she was the candidate that year, whereas Joe Biden now isn't. Harris can't be held accountable for everything her boss says, and as long as she distances herself from the comment, that should be enough damage control."
The Harris campaign has been contacted via email for comment.
Trump campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt cited an earlier statement when contacted for comment.
"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," Leavitt told Newsweek. Harris "does not deserve four more years. President Trump will be a president for ALL Americans."
The Trump campaign sent out an email to supporters that said Biden "just insulted tens of millions of Americans. Will Kamala apologize and disavow Joe Biden's remarks?"
Trump had initially told his supporters to forgive Biden for the comment but has since used it to attack Harris.
Harris "has spent all week comparing her political opponents to the most evil mass murderers in history. Now, on top of everything, Joe Biden calls our supporters 'garbage,'" Trump wrote on X and Truth Social.
"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," he said.
During a CNN town hall, Harris said she believes Trump is a "fascist." This came after John Kelly, Trump's longest-serving chief of staff, said Trump met the definition of the word and would govern like a dictator if allowed to, according to an interview with The New York Times.
Date: October 30, 2024 at 17:33:03 From: old timer, [DNS_Address] Subject: Re: Is Joe Biden's 'Garbage' Comment Kamala Harris' 'Deplorables'...
funny how public perception is. did you hear trump is getting the blame for some crude jokes by a comedian he doesn’t even know? and you think kamala isn’t going to get splashed by the other half of the biden/harris administration calling trump supporters garbage? come on dude
Date: October 30, 2024 at 22:06:58 From: old timer, [DNS_Address] Subject: Re: Is Joe Biden's 'Garbage' Comment Kamala Harris' 'Deplorables'...
dude this isn’t about me but about the fucking fact that every media outlet in the country says biden called trump supporters garbage. the white house is trying to minimize the damage and the man has dementia and rarely knows what he is saying, but during election time these things still make headlines
Date: October 31, 2024 at 10:10:30 From: old timer, [DNS_Address] Subject: Re: Is Joe Biden's 'Garbage' Comment Kamala Harris' 'Deplorables'...
the internet? the person who has spent years bitching at people about sources is now acting like reading mainstream media on the internet is a bad thing? too funny
Date: October 31, 2024 at 09:31:30 From: Redhart, [DNS_Address] Subject: Re: Is Joe Biden's 'Garbage' Comment Kamala Harris' 'Deplorables'...
exactly. He's just pushing those dung balls as instructed.
Responses:
None
443548
Date: October 31, 2024 at 02:10:02 From: old timer, [DNS_Address] Subject: Re: Is Joe Biden's 'Garbage' Comment Kamala Harris' 'Deplorables'...
“its just smoke and mirrors so you can do the OT thing..”
what’s the ot thing? me posting news articles to assist out of touch liberals?
Responses:
None
443538
Date: October 30, 2024 at 20:32:35 From: ao, [DNS_Address] Subject: Re: Is Joe Biden's 'Garbage' Comment Kamala Harris' 'Deplorables'...
"in other words, once again, you have nothing substantive..."
He never had anything of substance.. in fact until he answers for the vile.. the horrendous bs he supports methinks he can take all his nitpicking and..
Well, you know, I don't want to offend Lee's sensibilities.
Responses:
None
443534
Date: October 30, 2024 at 18:37:08 From: ryan, [DNS_Address] Subject: Re: Is Joe Biden's 'Garbage' Comment Kamala Harris' 'Deplorables'...
his campaign okayed the routine, so he can't plead innocent...you don't think rump thought that puerto rico joke was funny? biden's gaffe has already been sent under the bridge...and kamala di not approve that message...lol...
Date: October 30, 2024 at 21:57:02 From: old timer, [DNS_Address] Subject: Re: Is Joe Biden's 'Garbage' Comment Kamala Harris' 'Deplorables'...
so someone on trump’s campaign scheduled an obnoxious comedian and you think he should be held responsible but biden of the biden/harris administration calls trump supporters garbage and you are surprised it makes kamala look bad? get real dude
Date: October 31, 2024 at 09:25:59 From: Redhart, [DNS_Address] Subject: Re: Is Joe Biden's 'Garbage' Comment Kamala Harris' 'Deplorables'...
It wasn't just that one comedian and it hasn't been just that one rally. The whole night was a harris name calling deal from stupid to the antichrist, to referring to her "pimps, then bleeding out to name calling of democrats in general (the enemy within).
So, yeah..Old Biden gaffs and you're hoping it erases all the massive hostile language from the right.
Um..no, sorry. You want the focus on the one gaff, to try to distract from the massive approved hostile language from the right.
This, again, is a distraction tactic.
The Trump campaign is just trying to play defense by attempting to refocus attention AWAY from their violent rhetoric at MSG.
Responses:
None
443542
Date: October 30, 2024 at 22:23:35 From: mitra, [DNS_Address] Subject: Re: Is Joe Biden's 'Garbage' Comment Kamala Harris' 'Deplorables'...
"so someone on trump’s campaign scheduled an obnoxious comedian"
Amongst other insult spewing speakers. The comedian wasn't funny but the whole rally was more of the same from the p.o.s. in chief and his minions.
"and you think he should be held responsible" He started the whole name-calling thing years ago and has only encouraged it in his followers to the point of calling for violence. So that's a big yes.
"He started th but biden of the biden/harris administration calls trump supporters garbage and you are surprised"
That was covered in the previous post. Curious you (and the fascist world) will excuse P.o.s. in chief anything, even attempting to overthrow an election, and constitutional process but not this! Says way more about your own spin team than Biden.
"get real"
Get real? after years of insults personal and general from the aforementioned p.o.s., this from Biden is nothing.
Biden has a career of service.
That P.O.S. has a career of fraud and grift, treason and oh, what's worse than treason?
"makes kamala look bad"
Only on Fox and "opinion" "news" liars and suckers. Any thinking, observant person noted: Kamala was not there When informed did not agree and noted she has a career of respect for voters.
Not me. I think Bidens visceral statement was correct in spirit if not fact.
Date: October 30, 2024 at 22:38:10 From: old timer, [DNS_Address] Subject: Re: Is Joe Biden's 'Garbage' Comment Kamala Harris' 'Deplorables'...
ignoring the petty insults you say biden’s garbage comment made kamala look bad “Only on Fox and "opinion" "news" liars and suckers.” which is naive considering even democrats in several articles were quoted as saying biden’s gaffe was unfortunate and every media outlet i’ve see is talking about it