Former President Donald Trump staged a theatrical campaign appearance in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Wednesday, wearing a safety vest and operating a garbage truck to capitalize on President Joe Biden's verbal misstep about Trump supporters from the previous evening.
The dramatic display came after Biden made what his team later described as a verbal gaffe during a Tuesday evening Zoom call with a Latino voters organization. "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 the call.
Biden's comment stems from comedian Tony Hinchcliffe's remarks at Trump's Madison Square Garden rally last weekend, where he referred to Puerto Rico as "a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean." The comment has already cost Trump the endorsement of reggaeton singer Nicky Jam, while drawing support for Vice President Kamala Harris from Puerto Rican stars Bad Bunny and Ricky Martin.
Trump doing the signature YMCA dance while dressed as a sanitation worker is exactly what you need to just feel good.
Kamala could never. Biden could never. pic.twitter.com/OVT7AKLvVM
— Joey Mannarino (@JoeyMannarinoUS) October 31, 2024
"I have to begin by saying 250 million Americans are not garbage," Trump declared at the start of his 90-minute speech. The former president arrived at the arena wearing an orange reflective vest, having earlier posed in the cab of a garbage truck emblazoned with "Trump" in blue lettering.
At the Green Bay rally, Trump supporters seized Biden's comment. Former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre drew enthusiastic applause when he addressed the crowd: "I can assure you, we're not garbage. How dare you say that. Looking out, I see police officers, teachers, nurses, grandparents, students. I see everyday Americans that make this country great."
Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson connected Biden's remarks to previous Democratic campaign controversies, saying: "He called you garbage, but, let's face it, that's not the first time the Democratic leaders have told half of Americans what they thought about them." Johnson likened it to Hillary Clinton's 2016 "basket of deplorables" comment about Trump supporters.
Harris moved quickly to distance herself from Biden's remarks, telling reporters Wednesday: "I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they voted for." The vice president has recently focused on outreach to moderate Republicans and independents in her campaign efforts.
When questioned about Hinchcliffe's Puerto Rico comments while sitting in the truck's cab, Trump maintained his distance from the controversy, repeating that he didn't know the comedian or how he was booked for Madison Square Garden. "I don't know anything about the comedian. I don't know who he is. I've never seen him," Trump said. "He's a comedian, what can I tell you? I know nothing about him. I don't know why he's there."
