Biden calls Trump supporters 'garbage' during Harris campaign call as VP calls for unity at Ellipse rally
President Biden went viral Tuesday night for comments disparaging Trump supporters as his No. 2, Vice President Kamala Harris, made a major speech to voters calling for unity from the Ellipse right outside the White House.
During a virtual Harris campaign call with Voto Latino, Biden took a swipe at former President Trump's rally in Madison Square Garden, which made headlines after insult comedian Tony Hinchiffe made jokes mocking different ethnic groups, with one joke referring to Puerto Rico as a "floating island of garbage."
"The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters," Biden said. "[Trump's] demonization of Latinos is unconscionable and it is un-American."
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The comment quickly went viral and sparked swift condemnation from critics.
"This is disgusting," Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance reacted. "Kamala Harris and her boss Joe Biden are attacking half of the country. There's no excuse for this. I hope American reject it."
"Kamala Harris was deeply outraged by a comedian’s joke. If she has any decency or integrity, she will condemn her partner Joe Biden’s despicable statement calling half the country garbage," Sen Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said.
"Woof. Calls half the country ‘garbage’ while Harris speaks," CNN contributor Scott Jennings said.
"Well there he is. So outraged by Tony the comedian that the sitting president borrows the garbage characterization to apply it to half of America. I imagine the cable news set will be all over this tomorrow, right?" Ruthless podcast co-host Josh Holmes wondered.
"Just amazing that Biden managed to completely step on Kamala's speech in the worst way possible," Fox News contributor Joe Concha said.
"Shades of Hillary’s deplorables… I repeat: Lots of 2016 vibes in this election," Jewish Insider editor in chief Josh Kraushaar wrote.
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A White House spokesperson told Fox News "The President referred to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as ‘garbage.’" The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Biden's comment comes in stark contrast to the message Harris had to voters in what many have called her final sales pitch to the American people ahead of the election.
"I pledge to seek common ground and common sense solution to make your life better. I am not looking to score political points. I am looking to make progress. I pledge to listen to experts, to those who will be impacted by the decisions I make and to people who disagree with me," Harris said. "Unlike Donald Trump, I don't believe people who disagree with me are the enemy. He wants to put them in jail. I'll give them a seat at the table."
This will be updated as the story develops.
Fox News' Yael Halon contributed to this report.