Harris promises to ‘represent all Americans’ after Biden’s remark on Trump supporters and ‘garbage’

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kamala Harris said she disagrees “with immoderate disapproval of group based connected who they ballot for,” reacting aft President Joe Biden’s reference to Donald Trump’s supporters and “garbage.”

“I will correspond each Americans, including those who don’t ballot for me,” nan vice president said.

Harris, nan Democratic nominee for president, made nan remark to reporters arsenic she prepared to run successful 3 states. Her words were an effort to blunt nan contention complete Biden’s rhetoric pinch little than a week until nan extremity of nan campaign.

The tumult began Tuesday nighttime astir nan clip that Harris was delivering a unifying message successful a reside adjacent nan White House. Inside nan building, Biden was criticizing Trump’s caller Madison Square Garden rally, wherever a comedian described Puerto Rico arsenic an “island of garbage.”

“The only garbage I spot floating retired location is his supporters. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American,” Biden said successful a run telephone organized by nan Hispanic defense group Voto Latino. “It’s wholly contrary to everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been.”

Biden and nan White House rushed to explicate that nan president was talking astir nan rhetoric connected stage, not Trump’s supporters themselves. But Republicans seized connected Biden’s comments, claiming they were an echo of nan clip erstwhile Hillary Clinton, arsenic nan Democratic nominee against Trump successful 2016, said half of Trump’s supporters beryllium to a “basket of deplorables.”

In attacking Biden, and by extension, Harris, Republicans are glossing complete Trump’s ain history of insulting and demonizing rhetoric, specified arsenic calling nan United States a “garbage tin for nan world” aliases describing governmental opponents arsenic “the force within.” Trump has besides described Harris arsenic a “stupid person” and “lazy arsenic hell,” and he’s questioned whether she was connected drugs.

Trump has besides refused demands to apologize for nan remark astir Puerto Rico astatine his rally, acknowledging “somebody said immoderate bad things” but “I can’t ideate it’s a bid deal.”

Political onslaught lines person a history of occasionally boomeranging backmost connected group who usage them. For example, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, now Trump’s moving mate, erstwhile described Democrats arsenic beholden to “a bunch of childless feline ladies who are miserable astatine their ain lives and nan choices that they’ve made.”

Vance’s 3-year-old comments were resurfaced erstwhile he became nan vice statesmanlike nominee, energizing Harris supporters who repurposed nan explanation arsenic a constituent of pridefulness connected shirts and bumper stickers — overmuch for illustration Trump’s supporters erstwhile cheerfully branded themselves arsenic “deplorables.”

On Wednesday morning, Harris’ moving mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, downplayed Biden’s comments successful tv interviews.

He told “CBS Mornings” that Biden “was very clear that he’s speaking astir nan rhetoric we heard,” not nan supporters themselves.

Walz made a akin remark connected ABC’s “Good Morning America,” wherever he emphasized that Democrats’ inclusive message.

“Let’s beryllium very clear, nan vice president and I person made it perfectly clear that we want everyone arsenic a portion of this,” he said. “Donald Trump’s divisive rhetoric is what needs to end.”