2024-10-31 09:45:03
Topline
Former President Donald Trump seated himself in a garbage truck Wednesday to take questions from reporters and jab at President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris over a comment Biden made about Trump supporters this week appearing to suggest they were garbage, marking the latest back-and-forth between Trump, Biden and Harris that was initially sparked by a comedian at Trump’s rally Sunday who joked that Puerto Rico is a “floating island of garbage.”
Trump spoke to reporters Wednesday in Wisconsin. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Key Facts
Dressed in a reflective vest in Green Bay, Wisconsin, that he later donned at a rally there, Trump said the garbage truck he was sitting in bearing his campaign slogan and an American flag was “in honor of Kamala and Joe Biden.”
Trump, speaking on a comment made by Biden this week in which the president seemingly suggested Trump supporters were garbage, said the president’s remark was “really a disgrace.”
Biden made the comment in response to a remark made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally Sunday, when Hinchcliffe characterized Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.”
Biden said on a call with Latino voters this week, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters, his, his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable,” with the White House later attempting to clarify the remark and say it was being directed at Hinchcliffe, not Trump supporters.
Trump distanced himself from the controversial remarks made by Hinchcliffe at his rally, telling reporters while still seated in the garbage truck that he has never seen Hinchcliffe and knows nothing about the comedian—though he did not directly denounce the Puerto Rico remark.
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Key Background
Hinchcliffe and Trump received backlash for the comedian’s comment made Sunday, with Trump’s campaign saying in a statement the remark about Puerto Rico “does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.” Hinchcliffe, a comedian and podcaster who has appeared on Comedy Central’s roasts of popular celebrities, backed himself up amid the backlash and said critics “have no sense of humor.” Harris distanced herself from Biden on Wednesday despite the White House’s attempt to clear up his comment, saying she strongly disagrees “with any criticism of people based on who they vote for.” However, she first noted that Biden “clarified his comments.”
What To Watch For
Wisconsin is one of the seven pivotal swing states likely to decide the outcome of the election. Recent surveys suggest Harris has a slim lead over Trump, but many polls there and in other swing states are within the margin of error. Harris leads Trump by 0.7 percentage points in Wisconsin in FiveThirtyEight’s weighted polling average.
Tangent
Trump’s appearance at the rally in an apparent attempt to pay homage to sanitation workers came 10 days after he made a widely publicized appearance at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania, preparing french fry orders and handing out meals to supporters at the drive-thru window. Video clips and images of Trump at McDonald’s went viral on social media.
Further Reading
Biden Attempts To Clarify ‘Garbage’ Comment As Republicans Say It Insults All Trump Supporters (Forbes)
Who Is Tony Hinchcliffe? Comedian Calls Puerto Rico ‘Island Of Garbage’ At Trump Rally (Forbes)
