As controversy raged Tuesday over comedian Tony Hinchcliffe's joke about Puerto Rico being a "floating island of garbage," President Joe Biden jumped into the fray by calling supporters of former President Donald Trump actual "garbage."
In a video call organized buy advocacy group Voto Latino, Biden said, "Donald Trump has no character. He doesn't give a damn about the Latino community. Just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico a floating island of garbage. The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters."
Biden's comments blew up on social media, with many referring to this as Biden's "deplorables moment," a callback to 2016, when Democrat Hillary Clinton called Trump supporters "deplorables."
One X user wrote, "There it is. Biden torpedo'ing [Vice President] Kamala [Harris]. Payback. Consciously? Subconsciously? Who knows. But he's just given MAGA their 2024 'Deplorables' moment."
Another linked to the video, saying, "Basket of deplorables 2.0."
A third said, "Another basket of deplorables. Magnificent."
White House spokesman Andrew Bates posted on X, ".@POTUS referred to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as 'garbage.'"
He then linked to a transcript that added an apostrophe to the statement, making it "The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporter's — his, his, demonization of Latinos is unconscionable and it's un-American."
Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, Trump's running mate said, "This is disgusting. Kamala Harris and her boss Joe Biden are attacking half of the country. There's no excuse for this. I hope Americans reject it."
Trump's son, Don Jr. said, "The media spent all week crying about a joke from a comedian. Meanwhile, [Democrat vice presidential nominee] Tim Walz called Trump supporters Nazis. Kamala Harris refused to condemn it. And now Kamala's biggest Democrat ally, Joe Biden, is calling all Trump supporters 'garbage.' Absolutely disgusting!!!"