Harris and Biden are at odds. The 81-year-old president is a burden on her campaign.
And Kamala Harris made a statement about Joe Biden that has all hell breaking loose.
Vice President Kamala Harris faced an unexpected detour in her campaign efforts on Wednesday due to fallout from President Biden’s recent comments regarding former President Donald Trump’s supporters, whom he referred to as “garbage.”
Addressing reporters before departing Washington for campaign events across North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, Harris responded to questions about Biden’s remarks.
“First of all, he clarified his comments, but let me be clear, I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for,” she stated.
Harris, 60, noted that she had spoken with Biden, 81, the previous evening, though she said the issue “didn’t come up” during their conversation. When asked directly if she “sympathize[d] with any voters who do feel offended by or insulted by the ‘garbage’ comment,” Harris chose not to respond.
The vice president has been working to attract independent voters and disillusioned Republicans, a strategy complicated by Biden’s sharp criticism just a week before Election Day.
“You heard in my speech last night and continuously throughout my career, I believe that the work that I do is about representing all the people whether they support me or not,” Harris added. “As president of the United States, I will be a president for all Americans whether you vote for me or not.”
The president’s remarks were made during a webcast with advocacy organization Voto Latino, as Harris held a major rally near the White House where Republican-leaning speakers, who had supported Trump in past elections, introduced her.
Biden’s comment, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable and it’s un-American,” quickly made waves.
WATCH: President Joe Biden: "The only garbage I see floating out there is [Trump] supporters." pic.twitter.com/9teSUOytqC
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) October 30, 2024
Despite video evidence, the White House initially suggested that Biden had intended to say “supporter’s” rather than making a sweeping generalization.
White House allies in the media sought to clarify the comment, though many journalists questioned this explanation.
According to Biden’s aides, his criticism was directed at inflammatory remarks made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe about Puerto Rico, rather than Trump’s supporters at large.
The controversy surrounding Hinchcliffe, who recently referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage” during a Trump rally at Madison Square Garden, has led to increased efforts by Democrats to mobilize Puerto Rican voters in swing-state Pennsylvania, where nearly half a million Puerto Ricans reside.
The fallout over Biden’s comments brings to mind moments from previous campaigns, like Hillary Clinton’s “basket of deplorables” comment in 2016 or Mitt Romney’s “47 percent” remark in 2012.
With a contentious election just days away, Harris faces the challenge of bridging divides within her own party while also appealing to a broad swath of the American electorate.
Harris’ role on the campaign trail took center stage after Biden officially passed the Democratic nomination to her in July, a move that followed concerns from Democratic leaders about the president’s ability to campaign effectively after he suffered a horrible performance during a June presidential debate with Donald Trump.
Now, with Election Day nearing, Harris has to once again find a way to help clean up Biden’s mess, something she hasn’t been very successful at thus far.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
