Biden says he didn’t mean to call Trump supporters garbage

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U.S. President Joe Biden clarified a remark he made at an event for Latino voters, where he appeared to refer to supporters of former U.S. president Donald Trump as garbage.

However, that is not what he meant, Biden said on social media on Tuesday evening. In a post on X, he said he was calling the “hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico” garbage — not supporters.

“(Trump’s) demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That’s all I meant to say,” he said on X.

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Biden made the remark while speaking on a Zoom call with Voto Latino, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating and empowering Latinx voters.

A short clip of Biden speaking, which has been viewed nearly half a million times on X by Wednesday morning, was shared by senior White House correspondent from NBC News Gabe Gutierrez. It showed the president speaking about Trump and how he has failed the Latino community.

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“Donald Trump has no character. He doesn’t give a damn about the Latino community,” said Biden.
“Just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico a ‘floating island of garbage.’ Well, let me tell you something. I don’t — I — I don’t know the Puerto Rican that — that I know — or a Puerto Rico, where I’m fr- — in my home state of Delaware, they’re good, decent, honourable people. The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporter’s — his — his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American,” Biden continued, according to the official White House transcript, which included an apostrophe in the word “supporter’s.”

Biden was referencing comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who spoke at Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden in New York on Oct. 27. Hinchcliffe was on stage ahead of Trump.

“I don’t know if you guys know this,” said Hinchcliffe to the crowd, about four minutes into his speech, “but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. It’s called Puerto Rico.”

Trump’s campaign later distanced itself from Hinchcliffe in a statement from senior Trump campaign advisor Danielle Alvarez to Fox News Digital.

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“This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,” said Alvarez.

White House press secretary Andrew Bates issued a clarification of Biden’s remarks on X on Tuesday, posting a transcript of what Biden said.

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As Biden said on X, the transcript showed that the president called out the “demonization” of Latinos.

Read the full transcript of Joe Biden’s call with Voto Latino

THE PRESIDENT: (In progress) — and your friendship. And thanks to everyone —

MS. TERESA: So, President —

THE PRESIDENT: — at Voto Latino. (Inaudible.)

MS. TERESA: So, President Biden, before we get started — before we get started, I just want to say, literally, three and a half years ago, we — when we were hunkered down, we were doing Zoom calls very similar to this, you came in and you talked to our community, and you said, “Maria Teresa, we are going to have the largest climate change legislation, the biggest infrastructure,” and you listed 20 things, and he’s like, “Will you be there with me?” And I said, “Absolutely.” And I said, “Do you think we’re going to get it done?” You’re like, “Absolutely.” And you know what? You have.

So, I’m incredibly grateful for all the work that you’ve done, and I would love for you to say a few words to — to the community based on your ability to deliver every single time.

THE PRESIDENT: We got it done. I didn’t get it done. Every major thing we tried to do, from over a trillion dollars in infrastructure to work on communities that need help to health care to — I mean, a whole range of things, and we got it done.

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As I said earlier, your partnership, your friendship, and your leadership has really made a big difference. And thank everyone at Latino — you know — excuse me, thank everyone at your organization, Voto Latino, for all you do. You know, you’ve always had my back, and I think it’s fair to say I’ve always had yours.

This is it. This is it. Seven days to Election Day, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. And that’s not a — that’s not an exaggeration. The choice couldn’t be clearer.

Presidential historians tell us the most important thing about a president is character — does he or she have character. Kamala has character. She’ll always stand up for Latinos, but not just Lati- — she’ll stand up for everyone who deserves to be stood up for, and that’s all Americans.

Donald Trump has no character. He doesn’t give a damn about the Latino community. He’s failed businessman. He’s — he only cares about the billionaire friends he has and accumulating wealth for those at the top.

You know, he says immigrants are “poisoning the blood” of our country. Give me a break. He wants to do away with the birthright citizenship. Who the hell else said that in the last 100 years?

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And just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.” Well, let me tell you something. I don’t — I — I don’t know the Puerto Rican that — that I know — or a Puerto Rico, where I’m fr- — in my home state of Delaware, they’re good, decent, honorable people. The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporter’s — his — his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American. It’s totally contrary to everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been.

Now, Trump has di- — tried to divide the country based on race, ethnicity, anything that does harm, to take their eye off the ball about what the terrible things he’s done and will do. But Kamala Harris has fought for all Americans and will be a president for all of America.

Look, folks, we’ve gotten a lot done together, as you pointed out. Look, Maria Teresa, we did everything from the infrastructure bill to health care to making sure that veterans are taken care of. I mean, across the board, we’ve done so much. We’ve created over 16 million jobs. More Latinos have jobs than ever before.

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Look, a quarter of all — here’s the way I look at it. A quarter of all the children in our schools today are Latino — are Latino, a quarter of them. How could we possibly not invest everything we have in a quarter of our population that’s going to be our future? It’s going to make a major, major, major, major piece of what this country looks like and what we think and what we believe. So, these are going to have to be the doctors, the teachers, the scientists, and, yes, presidents.

You know, I know we’ve asked a lot of each other, but I’m talking to you about one more thing and asking you, as a favor, all of you listening, to vote. Get out early and vote. Do it early.

You know, I — I know the long waits on Election Day are all too common, especially in Latino communities. You know, I cast my ballot yesterday. I stood in line for 40, 45 minutes with all the people in Delaware, and I cast my vote yesterday in my home state. I waited in line with a lot of other people.

There was a woman ahead of me, an elderly woman, who was in her 90s in a wheelchair, and it was a heavy wheelchair and the person pushing it was having trouble, so I spent time with her. She — she’s — she’s over 90 years old, and she’s breaking her neck to vote because she knows how important it is.

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Today is National Vote Early Day. Let me say it again. Today is National Vote Early Day. Remind folks to vote early, to return mail-in ballots.

Vote for access to a good education so everyone has an opportunity. Vote to eliminate not — what Trump wants — he wants to eliminate the Department of Education and no early education. We’re fighting like hell, and we’re fighting like hell for early education because, you know, it increases exponentially the prospect of success for our sons and our daughters.

Vote to give our daughters the same opportunities we give our sons, instead of taking away their rights.

Vote to make sure we maintain a significant health care that would provide for our parents and our families and basic health care for all Americans. Trump is trying like hell to get rid of it. More people have health care now than ever before. He says he’s going to — wants to get rid of it.

Vote to continue the progress we made on job growth — the growth in jobs for everyone, including Latinos — a significant job growth.

Vote for comprehensive imm- — immigration reform instead of mass deportation. What’s he talkin- — think about it.

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You know, I travel the world because of my role as president and my knowledge of foreign policy. I get inquiries from other heads of state, “Does Trump really mean it? Are you really going to send out the police to gather up thousands and millions of people and deport them?” What the hell is going on here? Vote for comprehensive immigration reform instead of mass deportation.

In short, vote to keep Donald Trump out of the White House. He’s a true danger to not just Latinos but to all people, particularly those who are in a minority in this country.

You know, we have to vote to elect Kamala as president, Tim Walz as vice president. It’s (inaudible) — it’s never been more important.

We’ve known each other a long time, Maria Teresa — a long time. And I want to tell you something I can say without equivocation. Our democracy is at stake. And to translate that into pure English — and that’s wh- — I should be able to speak Spanish, but I can’t. We should be able to talk about what this means.

He wants to fundamentally change the way our Constitution works. He wants to take away people’s rights. He wants to concentrate power in the hands of a very few — people like him.

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So, go to IWillVote.com and make your plan to vote early. Make it today, because voting early (inaudible) now basically through election. Make a plan to vote, please, please, please. Your vote is critical. A Latino vote is critical. Let’s make it heard.

I want them to remember who you are and who we are. We’re the United States of America. And there’s nothing, nothing at all beyond our capacity when we do it together.

So, God bless you all. And God bless you, Maria Teresa, for all you’ve been doing. We have more to do, but we got to get it done.

This el- — this election is the most consequential election we’ve ever voted in, no matter how old or how young you are — this election.

God bless you all. And God protect our troops.

MS. TERESA: Thank you so much, President Biden. And I have to tell you, what you really — what you are saying is a clarion call. It’s a multicultural democracy, and it’s us, as Americans first, that will save this country and our democracy. And I’m so grateful for the time —

THE PRESIDENT: The reason why we’re strong.

MS. TERESA: — you’ve spent with us. (Inaudible.)

THE PRESIDENT: We’re the most diverse country, and that’s why we’re strong. That is our strength.

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MS. TERESA: Right. (Laughs.)

THE PRESIDENT: (Inaudible) our weakness. It’s our strength.

MS. TERESA: No, I call it our superpower — our superpower. And I always say, like, you don’t have to take my word for it. The reason that you have disinformation around race is because the Russians and the Chinese recognize that racism is our Achilles heel, but it — they also recognize that it’s our multiculturalism that is our superpower and our strength.

THE PRESIDENT: We bring all the best of every culture together. We really do. It’s not hyperbole. That’s a fact.

MS. TERESA: It’s true.

THE PRESIDENT: Sometimes I think our folks (inaudible) don’t realize it, but it’s truly a fact. Anyway.

God love you for what you’re doing. Keep it going, kid.

MS. TERESA: I’m super grateful.

THE PRESIDENT: Keep it going.

MS. TERESA: Yeah, we’re not done yet. We’re just getting started.

THE PRESIDENT: We’re not even close to done.

MS. TERESA: (Inaudible.) (Laughs.)

THE PRESIDENT: And I may be — I may be leaving office on January 20th, but I’m not leaving.

MS. TERESA: I — I —

THE PRESIDENT: I’m not leaving.

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MS. TERESA: You promise?

THE PRESIDENT: I’m leaving office, but I’m not leaving this fight.

MS. TERESA: (Laughs.)

THE PRESIDENT: God love you. Thank you so much.

MS. TERESA: I’m going to remind you of that. Much love. Say hello to Jill.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, you don’t (inaudible) — I’m going to ask for your help and let me join you.

MS. TERESA: I will always be there, President.

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