A CNN contributor attributed President Joe Biden calling Trump supporters “garbage” to the fact that he has a stutter, during a roundtable discussing the election.
“As somebody who had a stutter growing up, it’s very obvious to me that there was an apostrophe after ‘supporter’s,” film exec Franklin Leonard said.
“He was referring to the garbage spewed by supporters, not simply the supporters themselves,” The Black List founder added.
President Biden is in hot water after making the incendiary remark during a campaign call with VotoLatino Tuesday in which he was discussing roast comic Tony Hinchcliffe’s controversial joke about Puerto Rico at Trump’s Madison Square Garden Rally Sunday.
“The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American,” Biden said.
In an official transcript of Biden’s remarks provided by the White House, an apostrophe was inserted in the word “supporter’s.”
Conservative critics online blasted the White House for allegedly attempting to alter the meaning of Biden’s words in the transcript.
“The official White House transcript needs to be immediately corrected… Joe Biden’s words were clear that he was stating Trump’s supporters were the garbage.” Women for America First exec Kyle Jane wrote on X.
Conservative analyst Scott Jennings quickly fired back at Leonard’s claim.
“I don’t accept your framing of it, personally. I do believe that he, Harris, the Democratic party and most of her campaign do believe that half the country is garbage,” Jennings said.
“The’ve also said people who go to Trump rallies are Nazis,” he added, “It’s pretty apparent the disdain that they hold half the country in.”
The panel swiftly erupted at Jenning’s remarks with multiple contributors talking over each other.
“You just don’t get to say that,” NewsNight host Abby Phillip said.
Biden faced swift backlash for his comments, which many online likened to Hillary Clinton’s infamous “basket of deplorables” barb she lobbed during the 2016 campaign.
“So, you have to remember Hillary [Clinton] – she said ‘deplorable’ and then she said ‘irredeemable’ … ‘garbage’ I think is worse,” Trump said at his campaign rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
“He’s talking about everyday Americans who love their country and want to dream big again and support… And I hope [the Harris] campaign is about to apologize for what Joe Biden just said,” Sen. Marco Rubio, who broke the news of Biden’s comments to Trump, said at the rally.
“We are not garbage. We are patriots. We love America.” the senator said.
“A mother mourning her son who died of a fentanyl overdose is not garbage. A truck driver who can’t afford rising diesel prices is not garbage. A father who wants to afford groceries is not garbage,” Trump running mate J.D. Vance posted on X.
“Kamala Harris and Joe Biden ought to be ashamed of themselves.”
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro distanced himself from Biden’s remarks.
“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,” Shapiro told CNN.
President Joe Biden denied calling Trump supporters garbage, and insisted he was referring to the remarks made by Hinchcliffe in a post on X Tuesday.
“Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage—which is the only word I can think of to describe it,” Biden said.
