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Trump takes questions from garbage trucks as campaigns throw punches over “garbage” comments

Trump takes questions from garbage trucks as campaigns throw punches over “garbage” comments

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Topline

Former President Donald Trump sat in a garbage truck on Wednesday to answer questions from reporters and spar with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris over a comment Biden made about Trump supporters this week that made it appear they are trash, marking the latest back-and-forth The dispute between Trump, Biden and Harris was initially sparked by a comedian at Trump's rally on Sunday who joked that Puerto Rico was a “floating island of trash.”

Important facts

Trump wore a reflective vest in Green Bay, Wisconsin, which he later donned at a rally there, and said the garbage truck he sat in, emblazoned with his campaign slogan and an American flag, was “in honor of Kamala and Joe Biden.” .

Trump commented on a comment from Biden this week in which the president appeared to imply that Trump supporters were trash, saying the president's remark was “truly a disgrace.”

Biden made the remark in response to a remark made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe at Trump's rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, when Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.”

Biden said on a call with Latino voters this week: “The only trash I see floating out there is his supporters, his. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable,” although the White House later sought to clarify the remark, saying it was aimed at Hinchcliffe, not Trump supporters.

Trump distanced himself from Hinchcliffe's controversial comments at his rally, telling reporters while still in the garbage truck that he had never seen Hinchcliffe and knew nothing about the comedian – although he did not directly denounce the Puerto Rico remark.

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Important background

Hinchcliffe and Trump received backlash for the comedian's comment on Sunday, with Trump's campaign saying in a statement that the remark about Puerto Rico “does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.” Hinchcliffe, a comedian and podcaster who has appeared on Comedy Central's popular celebrity shows, pushed back despite the backlash, saying critics have “no sense of humor.” Harris distanced herself from Biden on Wednesday despite an attempt by the White House to clarify his comment, saying she strongly disagrees with “any criticism of people based on who they vote for.” However, she first noted that Biden had “clarified his comments.”

What you should pay attention to

Wisconsin is one of the seven crucial swing states that are expected to decide the outcome of the election. Recent polls suggest Harris has a narrow lead over Trump, but many polls there and in other swing states are within the margin of error. FiveThirtyEight's weighted polling average puts Harris ahead of Trump by 0.7 percentage points in Wisconsin.

tangent

Trump's appearance at the rally, in an apparent attempt to pay homage to sanitation workers, came 10 days after he made a highly publicized appearance at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania, where he prepared orders of french fries and meals to supporters at the drive-thru window distributed. Video clips and images of Trump at McDonald's went viral on social media.

Further reading

Harris on Biden's 'Garbage' Gaffe: 'I Strongly Disagree with Any Criticism of People Based on Who They Vote for' (Forbes)

Biden tries to clarify 'garbage' comment as Republicans say it insults all Trump supporters (Forbes)

Who is Tony Hinchcliffe? Comedian Calls Puerto Rico 'Island of Trash' at Trump Rally (Forbes)

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