Biden suggests he’d like to smack ‘macho guys’ during final campaign stop

SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) — President Joe Biden returned to his birthplace successful Pennsylvania, making a last run extremity Saturday for Vice President Kamala Harris and again fto loose — offering nan benignant of unfiltered governmental sentiments that person become reasonably common successful caller weeks.

Biden slammed Harris’ rival, erstwhile Republican President Donald Trump, and his supporters connected argumentation issues during a reside successful Scranton, but past suggested that he’d deed backmost — virtually — connected faux “macho guys.”

“There’s 1 much point Trump and his Republican friends want to do. They want to person a elephantine taxation trim for nan wealthy,” Biden told nan section section of nan carpenters union. Then, apparently referencing group backing Trump, he added, “Now, I cognize immoderate of you guys are tempted to deliberation it’s macho guys.”

“I show you what, man, erstwhile I was successful Scranton, we utilized to person a small problem going down nan crippled erstwhile successful a while,” Biden continued. “These are nan benignant of guys you’d for illustration to smack successful nan ass.”

During a rally later Saturday nighttime successful North Carolina, Trump poked nosy astatine Biden, asking nan crowd, “I don’t moreover know, is he still around?”

Biden’s remark successful Scranton drew laughs from nan crowd. But it was different infinitesimal of his veering disconnected governmental script, thing that’s now happening often pinch nan president — moreover though he has played a decidedly constricted domiciled successful promoting Harris, making fewer run stops for his onetime moving mate.

Earlier this week, Biden sparked an uproar by responding to racist comments astatine a caller Trump rally made by nan comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who referred to nan U.S. land territory of Puerto Rico arsenic a “floating land of garbage.”

“The only garbage I spot floating retired location is his supporters,” Biden said successful response.

White House property officials altered nan charismatic transcript of Biden’s remarks, drafting objections from national workers who transcribe what nan president says for posterity, according to 2 U.S. authorities officials and an soul email obtained by The Associated Press.

And nan reference to “garbage” followed Biden — during a caller extremity astatine a run agency successful New Hampshire — saying of Trump, “We’ve sewage to fastener him up” earlier quickly amending his comments to statement he meant that Democrats request to “politically fastener him up.”

Biden’s Saturday remarks travel astatine a infinitesimal erstwhile gender issues and diverging partisan loyalties betwixt men and women person emerged arsenic a apical characteristic of nan campaign.

Trump has pushed masculine tropes successful a bid to garner much antheral voters passim his campaign. He’s supported a return to accepted gender roles and leaned into themes for illustration “ protecting women ” whether they “like it aliases not” successful nan campaign’s closing days.

Harris has taken a acold different approach, pledging to protect entree to abortion and summation authorities spending to thief families screen nan costs of lodging and childcare.

Though he spent decades arsenic a legislator from Delaware, Biden spent his early puerility successful Scranton and Saturday’s arena was a homecoming for nan sidelined president successful respective ways. He said astatine nan aforesaid national hallway he visited connected Election Day successful 2020

“Let them cognize really important this predetermination is,” Biden told nan crowd of astir 200 enthusiastic supporters. When he noted, “I’m thing special,” 1 assemblage personnel shouted back, “Sure you are,” sparking chants of “Thank you, Joe.”

The president exhorted attendees to ballot “for yourself and your families, group you grew up with, nan group you travel from.”

“Don’t hide wherever you travel from,” Biden thundered to shouts and applause. “Don’t time off down nan group you grew up with.”

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Weissert reported from Washington.