Wed Oct 30 18:40:00 UTC 2024: ## Biden’s “Trash” Remark Sparks Controversy in US Election Campaign

**Washington, D.C.** – With just days to go before the crucial US elections, President Joe Biden’s controversial comment has caused a stir and put Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris in a difficult position.

During a Tuesday video call with a Latino voter organization supporting Harris, Biden referenced comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who sparked outrage after calling Puerto Rico a “trash island” at a Donald Trump rally on Sunday. Biden remarked, “The only trash I see floating around are his [Trump’s] supporters.”

This statement immediately triggered a furious response from Republicans. The White House subsequently issued a clarification, providing a transcript of Biden’s words and stating that he was referring specifically to Hinchcliffe’s comments and not all Trump supporters.

Biden later clarified on X (formerly Twitter) that he was referring to the “hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico, spewed by a Trump supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally, as trash, which is the only word I can think of to describe it.”

Harris has been repeatedly questioned by reporters regarding Biden’s remarks. While she acknowledged Biden’s clarification, she also stated, “Let me be clear, I completely disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for.”

The controversy has threatened to overshadow Harris’s closing campaign rally in Washington, D.C. The escalating war of words comes less than a week before the November 5th election.

Trump’s supporters have seized upon Biden’s comment, drawing comparisons to a similar incident before the 2016 presidential election. Then-Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton famously labeled half of Trump’s supporters as part of a “basket of deplorables.”

Trump has also accused Harris of running a “hate campaign,” stating, “You can’t lead America if you don’t love the American people.”

The Sunday rally in Madison Square Garden, where Hinchcliffe made offensive comments about Puerto Rico, Latinos, Palestinians, Jews, and African Americans, was described as a “love fest” by Trump. He acknowledged that “someone said some bad things,” but claimed it wasn’t a “big deal.” Trump has refused to offer an apology, despite calls for one from prominent figures in Puerto Rico.

Hinchcliffe has defended his comments, claiming that his critics lack a “sense of humor.”

In Philadelphia, a key state in Pennsylvania, members of the Puerto Rican community told the BBC they would not forget the joke. “Even if he [Hinchcliffe] was joking, you don’t joke like that. We are Puerto Ricans. We have dignity and pride,” said Ivonne Torres Miranda.

While residents of Puerto Rico cannot vote in the presidential election, the large diaspora in the continental United States can.

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