In a theatrical response to President Joe Biden’s apparent verbal gaffe, former President Donald Trump donned a high-visibility vest and rode in a garbage truck during a campaign rally in the crucial swing state of Wisconsin on Wednesday. The unconventional move aimed to convince voters that Democrats believe those who support Trump are “garbage”.
The political stunt came after Biden seemed to stumble over his words during a Tuesday evening Zoom call with a Latino voters organization, saying: “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporter’s – his – his – his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American”. While the president later clarified he meant to criticize “the hateful rhetoric” against Latinos seen at a massive Trump rally in New York City over the weekend, the Trump campaign insisted Biden was denigrating people who voted for the former president.
Trump Capitalizes on Biden’s Misstep
Seizing the opportunity to sway voters in Green Bay, a Republican-leaning region of Wisconsin where polls show a tight race, Trump hammered home his message by trading his signature suit for a reflective orange vest. He kicked off his nearly 90-minute speech to a packed arena of red-hatted supporters by declaring, “I have to begin by saying 250 million Americans are not garbage.” While he didn’t specify how he arrived at that figure, it roughly equates to the entire U.S. population minus Biden’s 2020 voters.
“This week, Kamala has been comparing her political opponents to the most evil mass murderers in history,” Trump claimed, “and now, speaking on a call for her campaign last night, crooked Joe Biden finally said what he and Kamala really think of our supporters. He called them garbage. No way!”
Harris Plays Defense
Biden’s gaffe threatens to complicate running mate Kamala Harris’s campaign, just as her efforts to win over Latino voters were reinvigorated after a comedian’s racist remark about Puerto Rico at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally. Harris went on the defensive Wednesday, telling reporters: “I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they voted for.” The vice president has recently focused on reaching out to moderate Republicans and independents.
Trump’s Theatrical Arrival
Trump, 78, made a dramatic entrance in Green Bay, stepping off his private plane in the orange vest and clambering into the cab of a waiting garbage truck emblazoned with “TRUMP” in blue lettering. He later recounted to the crowd his worry about navigating the truck’s steep steps under the watch of “all the fake news” cameras, quipping, “The first stair’s like, up here, and I’m saying, shit. So I had the adrenaline going, and I made it.”
But when questioned about the offensive comments made by the comedian at his New York rally, Trump refused to apologize, instead repeating his claim that he didn’t know who the performer was or how he was booked. “He’s a comedian, what can I tell you? I know nothing about him. I don’t know why he’s there,” Trump said from the truck’s cab.
Echoes of “Deplorables” Comment
Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson, who has fended off Democratic attempts to unseat him, drew parallels to Hillary Clinton’s infamous “basket of deplorables” remark about Trump supporters shortly before her 2016 election defeat. “He called you garbage, but, let’s face it, that’s not the first time the Democratic leaders have told half of Americans what they thought about them,” Johnson said to huge applause at the rally.
Former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre also took the stage to defend Trump’s base: “Looking out, I see police officers, teachers, nurses, grandparents, students. I see everyday Americans that make this country great.”
As the heated 2024 presidential race unfolds, Trump’s garbage truck gambit in Wisconsin underscores the increasingly unconventional tactics candidates are deploying to sway voters in critical battleground states. With gaffes and controversial statements coming from both camps, the question remains: whose message will resonate most with the American people?
