President Biden’s‍ Statement Sparks Controversy: Did He Call Trump Supporters “Trash”?

US President Joe ​Biden has caused a stir with⁢ a statement during a campaign phone call just a week before the US elections. In a video of the call, Biden appears to call Donald ⁢Trump ⁤voters “garbage.”⁣ However, the White⁤ House ‍has clarified‌ that the⁤ president was simply misunderstood.

The controversy began when a comedian ‍at​ a major Trump campaign event described the US ​territory of Puerto Rico as an island ⁣of garbage floating in the ocean. This statement sparked widespread anger ⁣in Puerto Rico, which could become a problem for Trump just before the election.​ Approximately 500,000 Puerto Ricans live in the highly⁢ competitive and potentially decisive electoral state of Pennsylvania alone.

In the online event, Biden spoke⁤ positively about Puerto Ricans and criticized Trump.​ He was then quoted⁤ online and by Trump’s site as saying: “The only trash I see going⁤ on is his ⁣supporters.” However,​ according ​to ⁤the official White ⁤House transcript, the sentence went even further — ​and Biden described as trash not the supporters themselves, but rather statements that “demonized Latinos.”

Biden himself later clarified on the online platform ‍X that he meant the​ rhetoric, stating, ‍”That’s​ all I ‍wanted to say.” However, the quote that initially⁣ made the rounds‍ had already been shared at‌ a Trump campaign appearance,⁢ and Elon Musk, who owns X, wrote ‌that Biden ⁤calls half of America “garbage.”

Trump immediately drew a ‌comparison with his former opponent Hillary Clinton’s statement during the 2016 US presidential election⁣ campaign, in which ⁣she described “half” of her opponent Trump’s supporters as “racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic​ and Islamophobic.” ‍Clinton later publicly regretted ‍saying “half​ of it” but stressed that Trump had unfortunately amplified “hateful opinions and voices.”

Biden’s mistake is also likely to be inconvenient for Democratic incumbent Kamala​ Harris, who has vowed to conquer‌ the division in the United States. In her latest election campaign appearance in Washington, she promised to ‌be the president of all Americans and always​ put the country above the party and herself.

Harris emphasized ‌her commitment to finding common ground and listening to ‍those⁤ who disagree with her. She​ stated, “I promise to be the president⁢ of all Americans and always put the country above the party and myself. I will look ⁤for compromises⁣ and find solutions using common sense.‌ I will also listen to those who disagree ⁣with me and ⁤do ‍not vote for me.”