After calling Puerto Rico a ‘floating island of garbage,’ Republicans are now offended by Biden’s perceived ‘garbage’ insult
After Republicans laughed and cheered at Tony Hinchcliffe calling Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” at a Donald Trump rally, they are now profoundly offended because they think President Joe Biden called them “garbage.”
It’s well known that Trump supporters can’t take what they dish out. A major part of Trump’s platform is based on persistent name-calling and mocking of anyone who disagrees with the right-wing agenda. Trump’s own running mate, J. D. Vance, called all women with no children “childless cat ladies.” Meanwhile, a recent Trump rally at Madison Square Garden was rife with vulgar, sexist, racist, and hateful remarks. In addition to the “floating island of garbage” comment, one speaker called Kamala Harris the “Antichrist,” while businessman Grant Cardone called her team “pimp handlers.” Trump himself has called all of America a “garbage can for the rest of the world” and dubbed his fellow American citizens “the enemy from within.” Republicans even recently had a field day making fun of Tim Walz’s disabled, minor son after his appearance at the DNC.
Yet, despite persistently acting as if everyone, even children, is fair game for their relentless attacks and harassment, Republicans promptly began to cry when they thought Biden called them garbage.
Republicans meltdown over Joe Biden’s misinterpreted “garbage” comment
Following the horrific display of hatred and racism at Madison Square Island, Biden spoke out to condemn MAGA’s hateful rhetoric. On October 29, Biden spoke over a video call with a Latino voting group, where he denounced Hinchcliffe’s racist comments. He explained that all the Puerto Ricans he knew from his home state of Delaware were “good, decent, honorable people.” Biden then stated, “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 quite clear that the President was calling Trump and his supporters’ “demonization of Latinos” garbage. However, the right quickly twisted his comment, insisting he was calling all of Trump’s supporters “garbage.”
Biden also followed up with a clarification confirming that he was calling the “hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico” garbage.
Not only did Biden clarify his statements, but he’s not even the one running for president. While not explicitly calling out Biden, Harris did issue a statement confirming she disagrees with “any criticism of people based on who they vote for.” However, Republicans instantly latched on to the “garbage” comment and ran to social media to cry and whine that Biden called all of them “garbage.” To be clear, if Biden had, indeed, called them garbage, it would’ve been a wrong generalization. At the same time, it’s impossible to ignore the double standard here. Trump and his supporters can insult Harris, her supporters, all of America, and all of Puerto Rico, but suddenly, they draw the line at being called “garbage?”
It’s eerily similar to the “deplorables” controversy during Hilary Clinton’s presidential campaign. Clinton made a comment calling half of Trump’s supporters a “basket of deplorables.” Trump’s campaign latched onto the statement and never let it go, with Clinton even suspecting it factored into her loss. The comment was in poor taste, but again, it’s difficult to empathize with a group of people who have said much worse things. If Republicans want to raise a ruckus over the imagined “garbage” insult, they should hold Trump and each other to similar standards when it comes to insults and name-calling. Since Trump dismissed those insulted by Hinchcliffe’s racist jokes, perhaps Biden’s imagined “garbage” insult also isn’t a “big deal.”
Hence, when pity-seeking Republicans got “garbage” trending on X, Democrats weren’t afraid to call out their double standard and attempt to twist Biden’s words.
So far, MAGA’s attempt to instigate a repeat of the “basket of deplorables” incident doesn’t seem to be working very well.
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