In the final stretch of the campaign, President Joe Biden has stirred fresh controversy with an unscripted comment, creating a potential distraction for Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. On Tuesday afternoon, Biden advised himself to “slow up” during a rally speech criticizing Donald Trump, yet later that evening on a Zoom call, he went off script again, sparking a wave of Republican backlash and adding new challenges to Harris’s efforts.
The incident occurred during a call with the Hispanic advocacy group Voto Latino. Addressing recent remarks by a comedian at a Trump rally who referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage,” Biden commented, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters.”
Republicans quickly seized on the remark, framing it as an attack on Trump supporters just as Harris has been making a final push to unify the country in her campaign’s closing argument.
The White House scrambled to clarify, with Biden posting on social media, “His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That’s all I meant to say.” Still, his sharp comment was interpreted by many as an insult to Trump’s base, which Republicans have used to stoke controversy.
Harris, aiming to appeal to voters from all backgrounds, responded publicly, affirming, “I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for.”
This isn’t Biden’s first off-the-cuff remark that has shifted attention away from Harris’s campaign message. Last week, while addressing campaign workers in New Hampshire, Biden said about Trump, “We got to lock him up,” before quickly clarifying, “Politically lock him up. Lock him out.”
The phrase brought up memories of Trump’s 2016 “lock her up” chant against Hillary Clinton, a refrain that Harris’s own supporters now echo at her rallies about Trump’s legal troubles. Harris, however, typically silences the chant, telling her crowds, “The courts will take care of that. We’ll take care of November.”
Harris’s team has also faced logistical clashes due to Biden’s appearances, with him sometimes stepping into the spotlight at inopportune moments.
Recently, he surprised reporters with an impromptu briefing at the White House just as Harris began a rally in Michigan. On another occasion, he addressed the nation on Hurricane Helene while Harris canceled campaign events in Las Vegas to attend a Federal Emergency Management Agency briefing in Washington.
Biden, who stepped out of the presidential race in July following a challenging debate performance and internal party concerns, has stayed mostly out of the campaign’s main activities. However, he has recently re-entered the public eye, determined to support his party.
Though Harris is the campaign’s primary face, Biden’s sporadic appearances have been a double-edged sword, showing both his influence and the challenges his off-the-cuff style presents for Harris’s message.
In the closing days, Harris has ramped up her focus on unity, highlighting her vision for a post-Trump America that aims to bridge deep divides. Touring battleground states like North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, Harris underscored that the nation’s strength lies in coming together after years of division.
At a massive rally near the White House, she laid out her vision for a unified America.
But Biden’s latest comments bring attention back to the divisive language he aimed to criticize. During an event in Baltimore, he used infrastructure funding as a positive example, mentioning upgrades for Puerto Rico and other states, but then added of Trump, “I’d like to take that guy for a swim out there,” a quip that raised eyebrows.
As Election Day draws near, Harris is pressing forward, determined to emphasize her message of unity over division. In contrast to Biden’s occasional distractions, Harris’s focus on a hopeful, cohesive future for Americans remains clear — a stance she hopes will resonate with voters as they head to the polls.
