Vice President Kamala Harris broke her silence Wednesday on President Biden’s controversial “garbage” comment, saying she strongly disagrees with criticizing people based on who they vote for.
The Democratic presidential candidate responded amid the fallout after the president appeared to call Trump supporters trash on a call that sparked outrage from the ex-president’s campaign and his allies.
“He clarified his comments, but let me be clear: I strongly disagree with criticizing people based on who they vote for,” Harris told reporters before leaving for North Carolina.
“I will be a president for all Americans, whether you vote for me or not,” she added.
“That’s my responsibility and that’s the kind of work I’ve done my entire career and I take it very seriously.”
The vice president said he spoke with Biden on Tuesday evening, but it did not come up.
Vice President Harris said she strongly disagrees with criticizing people based on who they vote for after Biden’s nonsense
The 81-year-old president sparked a firestorm Monday night when he discussed Trump rally comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s racist joke about Puerto Rico is an “island of trash” in Madison Square Garden.
“The only trash I see floating out there is his supporters,” Biden said.
The White House immediately said the president was referring to the lone supporter, Hinchcliffe.
The official White House transcript read: “the supporter’s – his – demonization of Latinos is unconscionable.”
Soon after, Biden also attempted to clarify his social media comments, writing that he was “referring to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally as nonsense — which is the only word that I can think of to describe it. ‘
Allies are forced to clean up President Biden’s ‘garbage’ comment
But Trump, his campaign and Republican allies seized on the comments.
They are trying to tie the comment to Harris and other Democrats who have less than a week to go before Election Day.
The timing of the blunder is also causing a headache for the Harris campaign.
It came just as the Democratic presidential candidate was delivering her closing arguments before 75,000 people at the Ellipse on the National Mall on Tuesday.
During her speech, she said she would be a president for all Americans and would put country before party.
“Unlike Donald Trump, I don’t believe that people who disagree with me are the enemy,” Harris said. “He wants to put them in jail. I will give them a seat at the table.”
Harris’ running mate Tim Walz was also asked about Biden’s “garbage” comment on Wednesday morning.
He insisted on a CBS Mornings interview said the president’s comments did not undermine the campaign message of “unity.”