Trump Takes out the Trash
On October 29th, 2024, incumbent President Joe Biden referred to half of his constituency as garbage. Biden, demonizing the Republican party, stated that “the only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters.” Biden’s heated proclamation followed a joke by Tony Hinchcliffe at the Madison Square Garden Trump rally in New York City.
Biden responded:
“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.”
The White House transcript represents Biden in the worst possible light, instead highlighting the stammering of his words and attributing them to incomplete thoughts. But Biden knew the words he was using. Biden did not use the term supporter’s but supporters. The meaning is very different. But the mainstream media has gaslit the American public, instead declaring half of the American constituency had misinterpreted his words; specifically the punctuation. Yet this was not solely a matter of punctuation. This is not the first instance that Biden has condemned citizens with opposing political viewpoints. The acting President of the United States attributes the diversity of politics as domestic terrorism, further polarizing radicals to despise their brethren in favor of the state narrative.
Elise Stefanik and House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer stated that; “Americans were rightfully insulted when President Biden, seeking to boost Ms. Harris’s presidential campaign, referred to an enormous swath of the country as ‘floating . . . garbage.’ President Biden’s vindictive words were unsurprising, given his previous statements regarding people who choose not to vote for his preferred candidate,” (Stefanik).
“Unsurprising too were the White House’s actions after he said them. Instead of apologizing or clarifying President Biden’s words, the White House instead sought to change them (despite them being recorded on video) by releasing a false transcript of his remarks. The move is not only craven, but it also appears to be in violation of federal law, including the Presidential Records Act of 1978,” (Stefanik).
Joe Biden’s team attempted to correct the atrocious language, writing “[e]arlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump's supporter [Tony Hinchcliffe] at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage—which is the only word I can think of to describe it.” Speaking on Hinchcliffe, Biden noted that “[h]is demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That's all I meant to say. The comments at that rally don't reflect who we are as a nation.”
When asked if she sympathized with the Trump supporters who were called garbage by Biden, Kamala responded
“I am running for president of the United States . . . to do what I’ve been doing throughout, which is talking with the American people about the fact that, first of all, I get it.”
Countering Biden’s statements against the American people, Trump showed up to his rally the next day in Green Bay, Wisconsin in a garbage truck and wearing a sanitation vest. Trump proceeded to give his speech wearing the sanitation vest. With just days before the national presidential election, Trump has proven himself to be a representative of the people; instead abandoning the typical deceptive political campaign tools of demagoguery and empty rhetoric.
Similarly, Vivek Ramaswamy arrived at the Trump rally dressed in sanitation clothing, where he proceeded to crush garbage, taking lessons from the sanitation workers themselves. This instance mimics Biden’s behavior in the last election whereby he publicly stated "[i]f you have a problem figuring out whether you're for me or Trump, then you ain't black." Under both circumstances, it is clear that Joe Biden has shifted his words to appease modern voters; overlooking his own lack of appeal and loss of popularity amongst contemporary Americans.
Bibliography
Stefanik. (Accessed on October 30th, 2024). Stefanik & Comer Investigate White House’s Revision of Biden’s “Garbage” Remarks | Press Releases | Congresswoman Elise Stefanik. https://stefanik.house.gov/2024/10/stefanik-comer-investigate-white-house-s-revision-of-biden-s-garbage-remarks
Whitehouse. (Accessed on October 30th, 2024). Remarks by President Biden on a Call with Voto Latino | The White House. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2024/10/29/remarks-by-president-biden-on-a-campaign-call/
X. (Accessed on October 30th, 2024). Joe Biden. https://x.com/JoeBiden/status/1851436643498037614