Biden Calls Trump Supporters ‘Garbage’ In Response to Puerto Rico Joke, White House Clarifies

President Joe Biden referred to Trump supporters as “garbage” during a virtual Harris campaign event on Tuesday, sparking backlash and split media framing.

Key Quote: “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters, his, his, his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable and it's un-American,” said Biden during the event, which was facilitated by Voto Latino.

For Context: Biden’s comment came in response to a joke made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe at Trump’s Sunday rally in which he referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.” A video posted by Forbes (Center bias) shows both Biden and Hinchcliffe’s remarks.

Clarification: An official transcript from the White House reported Biden as having said, “...his supporter's - his - his demonization…” implying that he was referring to one specific supporter, in the possessive form. Biden later wrote on X, “Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump's supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage.” Reuters (Center bias) reported Biden’s X post as saying the plural “supporters” not “supporter” though AllSides was not able to verify that Biden’s post ever used the plural form.

Trump’s Response: Trump wrote on Truth Social, “Now, on top of everything, Joe Biden calls our supporters 'garbage'. You can’t lead America if you don’t love the American people.” At his rally in Allentown, PA, Trump asked his supporters to “forgive” Biden, suggesting Biden “doesn’t know.”

How Media Covered It: Many outlets from the left and center published features noting Biden’s clarification. Most outlets on the right ran with the original storyline that Biden called all Trump supporters “garbage.” Newsweek (Center bias) highlighted criticisms of the White House’s official transcript. Politico (Lean Left bias) edited its coverage to reflect the updated transcription from the White House.