By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-10-30 01:21:30 | Updated at 2024-10-30 03:24:49
2 hours ago
Donald Trump said President Joe Biden calling his supporters 'garbage' is worse than Hillary Clinton's 2016 'basket of deplorable' remarks.
Trump was speaking to thousands of fans gathered in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Tuesday evening with just seven days left to the election.
The 81-year-old commander-in-chief was responding to a comedian at Trump's Madison Square Garden rally on Sunday comparing Puerto Rico to a 'floating island of garbage.'
Biden said on a campaign zoom Tuesday night: 'The only garbage I see floating out there is his [Trump's] supporters.'
It immediately sparked backlash from MAGA fans, including Trump himself who addressed it in the middle of his rally.
'Wow, that's what [Biden] says… garbage. I think it's worse [than deplorables],' he fired back.
He was referring to Hillary Clinton's now-infamous 2016 rant about the 'basket of deporables' who supported Trump during his first run.
'Please forgive him for he knoweth not what he say. Honestly he doesn't. And I'm convinced that he likes me more than he likes Kamala,' Trump continued in a nod to Biden's declining mental abilities.
Trump was speaking to thousands of fans gathered in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Tuesday evening
'No!' the crowd shouted back at the former president.
Trump's allies quickly piled on criticism of Joe Biden's comments.
'Just moments ago, Joe Biden stated that our supporters are garbage. I hope their campaign is about to apologize,' said Florida Senator Marco Rubio.
'We are not garbage, we are patriots who love America.'
J.D. Vance was quick to condemn Biden, saying 'this is disgusting.
'This is disgusting. Kamala Harris and her boss Joe Biden are attacking half of the country. There's no excuse for this. I hope American reject it.'
Meanwhile, Kamala Harris called Trump 'unstable' and slammed his 'obsession' with 'grievance' and 'revenge' from The Ellipse with the White House as her backdrop, seven days before what could be one of the closest races in history.
'Please forgive him for he knoweth not what he say. Honestly he doesn't. And I'm convinced that he likes me more than he likes Kamala,' Trump continued
The Democratic candidate told the crowd that Trump stood 'at this very spot' on January 6 to 'incite' a mob to storm the Capitol.
She also recalled claims the former president said 'so what' when the rioters chanted to hang Mike Pence.
'We know who Donald Trump is. He is the person who stood at this very spot nearly 4 years ago and sent an armed mob to the United States Capitol to overturn the will of the people in a free and fair election.'
The candidates are separated by less than one point in most of the swing states that will ultimately decide the winner, while the betting markets show Harris' chances of winning have plummeted.
Meanwhile, Kamala Harris called Trump 'unstable' and slammed his 'obsession' with 'grievance' and 'revenge' from The Ellipse
More than 50 million Americans have already voted in the race that will go down to the wire.
At his Allentown rally, Trump brought out a lineup of Hispanic supporters and surrogates to speak in order to flaunt his continued support from the Puerto Rican community.
He is trying to make up ground with the Hispanic community after the fallout over a joke at his Madison Square Garden rally that insulted this key demographic of voters.
The appeal included pre-program remarks from Sen. Rubio, whose parents are Cuban, Puerto Rico's 'Shadow Senator' Zoraida Buxó and Former Allentown mayoral candidate Tim Ramos.
Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe opened the show in New York City on Sunday, and he stunned listeners by calling Puerto Rico a 'floating pile of garbage.'
Puerto Rican celebrities, including Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny and Ricky Martin, all condemned the joke – and social media erupted with claims this just further illustrates the type of mindset that Trump has about minorities in the U.S.
Outside of Trump's rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania on Tuesday evening, a group of Latino demonstrators gathered and brandished Puerto Rican flags as they marched and chanted in protest of the former president's event.
Meanwhile inside the venue, a handful of Puerto Rican and Hispanic speakers took stage, and some supporters in the arena were also waving the island territory's flag.
Shadow Sen. Buxó told her fellow Puerto Ricans not to believe claims Trump is racist.
'It's easy to get distracted or misled by propaganda, emotional manipulation and distortion of the truth and facts,' Buxó said. 'I urge you to watch out and stay focused on what is truly important when you go to cast your vote.'
'We need change, and Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are not the option to bring about the kind of change that you need and want,' she concluded.
Earlier, the invocation was delivered by a man who said: 'I'm standing here as a proud Puerto Rican.'
Puerto Rico's 'Shadow Senator' Zoraida Buxó endorsed Trump onstage
'We need change, and Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are not the option to bring about the kind of change that you need and want,' she concluded
Former Allentown mayoral candidate Tim Ramos spoke after the National Anthem.
'I want to start by expressing my love for the island people of Puerto Rico,' he said.
'We are a beautiful people from a beautiful island,' Ramps contionued. 'We need a leader that sees that and understands that… Donald Trump is that leader.'
About 60 miles outside of Philadelphia, Trump spoke to a riled up crowd in Allentown at the PLL Center, which has a capacity of 8,500 seated attendees.
Like most rallies, more chairs were added to the floor of the arena to accomdate for additional audience members who wanted a chance to see the former president up close.
Early voting ended in Pennsylvania on Tuesday and won't reopen until the morning of Election Day on November 5.
Throughout the day, Trump cast doubt on the election process in the state.
Early voting ended in Pennsylvania on Tuesday and won't reopen until the morning of Election Day on November 5
'Wow! York County, Pennsylvania, received THOUSANDS of potentially FRAUDULENT Voter Registration Forms and Mail-In Ballot Applications from a third party group,' Trump claimed in a post to X on Tuesday afternoon.
He continued in the same post: 'This is on top of Lancaster County being caught with 2600 Fake Ballots and Forms, all written by the same person.'
'Really bad 'stuff.' WHAT IS GOING ON IN PENNSYLVANIA??? Law Enforcement must do their job, immediately!!! WOW!!!'
The former president also made sure to be present in the state during the end of the early voting period.
On Tuesday afternoon, he engaged in a town hall in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, where he spoke with voters just eight miles from center city Philadelphia.
