The White House recently came up with the greatest excuse since “the dog ate my homework.” For those living under a rock, Joe Biden said in a video watched by millions on the internet: “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters.”
Next, in an awe-inspiring Hail Mary, the White House changed the text to: “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporter’s.”
The denouncement from Conservatives was swift. Commentator Ben Shapiro mocked Biden, saying, “Hey guys, good news: if ever you find yourself in trouble, just claim that a plural noun is actually a singular possessive with an apostrophe. Amazing get-out-of-jail-free trick!”
Vivek Ramaswamy hailed it as the “October Surprise,” referencing the notion that a news event could influence the upcoming November election. He said, “Here’s the October surprise. It just arrived. This is the basket of deplorables moment. That’s what Hillary Clinton said in ’16 that tanked her campaign.” He added, “The reality is we know his family is secretly probably rooting for Donald Trump, not Kamala Harris, to win because they feel really vengeful about how they were treated.”
Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, called the comments “disgusting” and accused Biden of attacking half the country. Getting in on the act, the Trump team used the line as a fundraiser, sending an email to voters saying, “You are not garbage! I love you! You are the best our nation has to offer.”
Meanwhile, Joe Biden clarified, saying, “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. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That’s all I meant to say.”
Democrats, meanwhile, tried to spin it by pointing out that Biden wasn’t on the ticket, which led Republicans to hit back and wonder if Tony Hinchcliffe was the Presidential candidate, with some MAGA supporters lamenting that the mainstream media had spent more time covering a comedian’s joke than two assassination attempts on Trump.
However, when asked by Axios if the White House had questioned the president on what he meant, they declined to comment and would only speak off the record, which the media organisation declined.
What will be more frustrating for Harris is that Biden’s remarks came precisely as she was making her closing statement. Despite being in Washington, he wasn’t seen with Harris during her final remarks, and Harris’s aides hit back by claiming that Biden is “both unpopular and undisciplined.”
The fiasco during the Democrats’ closing statement highlights their struggles in this election since Harris was tapped for Biden. The Trump team has been “reverse-sea-lioning” the Harris campaign into fighting nonsensical, back-alley battles instead of focusing on major issues.
This election has highlighted a shift in American communication from mainstream media to podcasts and X threads, as Jeff Bezos recently emphasised in a scathing op-ed. The latest New York Times poll of polls shows Harris leads by less than one point—a worrying margin given Democrats’ usual advantage in the popular vote. In the seven swing states, it’s virtually tied, and after three Trump election cycles, America’s media and democracy appear firmly broken.
Top 10 stories: