Walz has proven to be an unserious politician. He’s doing more harm than good for Kamala Harris’s campaign.
And Tim Walz was caught defending Biden for saying this appalling thing about Trump supporters.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz stood by President Biden’s controversial remarks calling Trump supporters “garbage” on Wednesday, though other Democrats scrambled to contain the fallout.
Biden’s words, delivered just days before the 2024 election, have sparked debate within party ranks about the impact of such rhetoric.
When asked on “CBS Mornings” if Biden’s comment was a sign he should “maybe be sidelined,” Walz, 60, quickly replied “no.” The Minnesota governor attempted to downplay the controversy, noting the separate roles of Biden and his running mate, Vice President Harris.
“President Biden’s the president of the United States. He’s running it,” Walz explained, emphasizing that “Vice President Harris is our candidate and will be the next president. And I think there’s two different positions there.”
He added, “The vice president is out speaking about the things that we need to be done for the country…And the president is doing what he needs to do, and that’s making sure our country is reducing inflation… So no, it doesn’t.”
On a call with the voter mobilization group Voto Latino, Biden had declared, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” condemning Trump’s “demonization of Latinos” as “unconscionable, and it’s un-American.”
WATCH: President Joe Biden: "The only garbage I see floating out there is [Trump] supporters." pic.twitter.com/9teSUOytqC
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) October 30, 2024
While Biden’s words provoked swift reactions, the White House quickly issued a transcript, which inserted an apostrophe, appearing to direct the criticism toward comments from a “supporter’s” rather than all Trump supporters.
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates clarified in a statement, “The President referred to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as ‘garbage.’”
Biden himself echoed this attempt at clarification in a social media post, noting, “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.”
Still, Biden’s remark has left Democrats split. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro expressed disapproval, saying, “I would never insult the good people of Pennsylvania or any Americans even if they chose to support a candidate that I didn’t support.”
Democratic insiders worry that Biden’s comments may harm the party’s efforts in this final campaign stretch.
“Biden seems completely out of the picture at this point and walled off from the campaign,” one operative said to the New York Post, acknowledging the challenge but adding that “Trump obviously didn’t do himself any favors with that rally.” Another Democratic insider voiced concern that Biden’s “gaffe machine” image is an ongoing issue.
For some in Biden’s base, the president’s comment didn’t go far enough. Venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, a prominent Harris supporter, remarked, “Garbage is an understatement for MAGA extremists.”
As Election Day approaches, Democrats are keenly aware of the risks of echoing Clinton’s infamous “basket of deplorables” remark in 2016.
With Harris, 60, polling just behind Trump nationally and slightly behind in key swing states, the party faces a critical balancing act.
The impact of Biden’s words will soon be tested at the polls, and could be very detrimental to the Democrat Party.
Stay tuned to Prudent Politics.
