In a move that could prove disastrous for Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign, President Joe Biden went viral Tuesday night for a controversial comment seemingly aimed at disparaging millions of Americans. While Harris was delivering a major unity-focused speech at the Ellipse, Biden was making headlines for calling former President Trump’s supporters “garbage.”

The inflammatory remark came during a virtual campaign call with Voto Latino, where Biden responded to offensive remarks made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally. In a shocking statement, Biden said, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” referring to Trump’s fanbase. Although he later attempted to clarify his comments, the damage was done—critics pounced, and Biden’s insult overshadowed Harris’s message of unity.

The backlash was immediate and fierce. Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance condemned Biden’s statement, calling it “disgusting” and accusing both Biden and Harris of “attacking half of the country.” Elon Musk and Sen. Tom Cotton also joined in the criticism, with Cotton demanding Harris condemn Biden’s “despicable statement.” CNN’s Scott Jennings pointed out the irony of Biden’s insult clashing with Harris’s message of inclusivity.

Trump, who was quick to capitalize on the controversy, likened Biden’s comment to Hillary Clinton’s infamous “basket of deplorables” remark from the 2016 campaign. “Remember Hillary? She said ‘deplorable’ and then said ‘irredeemable,’ right? That didn’t work out. ‘Garbage,’ I think, is worse,” Trump quipped at a rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He then took a swipe at the strained Biden-Harris relationship, adding, “I’m convinced he likes me more than he likes Kamala.”

Biden tried to backpedal on social media, clarifying that he meant only to condemn the “hateful rhetoric” heard at the rally, not Trump’s supporters as a whole. “The comments at that rally don’t reflect who we are as a nation,” he wrote on X. However, his attempt to walk back the statement did little to quell the outrage or salvage Harris’s carefully crafted message of unity.

Harris, speaking just steps away from the White House, delivered what many saw as her final appeal to the American people ahead of the election. Her speech was filled with promises to seek “common ground” and to listen to those with differing viewpoints, a direct contrast to Biden’s comment. “Unlike Donald Trump, I don’t believe people who disagree with me are the enemy,” Harris declared, adding, “He wants to put them in jail. I’ll give them a seat at the table.”

Yet, any positive impact of Harris’s appeal seems to have been drowned out by Biden’s explosive remark. In a moment that was supposed to bolster Harris’s image as a unifying figure, Biden’s misstep may have just handed her opponents the ammunition they needed to sink her campaign.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) denounces Biden’s comments calling Trump supporters ‘garbage.’

“I would never insult the good people of Pennsylvania or any Americans, even if they chose to support a candidate that I didn’t support.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)