President Biden says he wants to take pro-Trump comedian Tony Hinchliffe 'for a swim' following the comic’s controversial remarks at Sunday’s Trump campaign rally at Madison Square Garden.
Biden made the off-the-cuff comment at Baltimore’s harbor in Maryland on Tuesday while promoting the effects of large spending bills under his administration.
"I’m proud to announce more than $3 billion in funding from my Inflation Reduction Act to help clean up and modernize ports in 27 different states and territories from Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan and beyond — including, yes, Puerto Rico," Biden said to the applauding crowd before making the throwaway comment.
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"I’d like to take that guy for a swim out there, anyway," Biden added, referring to Hinchliffe, as the audience chuckled.
"Steny’s looking at me, ‘Don’t get going Joe, don’t get going Joe, slow up,’" Biden said, referring to Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md, before getting back to his speech.
Biden did not elaborate about what he might do on the swim. After a wry smile and brief pause, Biden got back on script and continued his speech.
Biden’s taunt at Hinchliffe mirrored the 46th president’s jabs at former President Trump in 2016 when Biden said, "I wish we were in high school — I could take him behind the gym."
Hinchiffe made jokes at Sunday’s massive rally mocking different ethnic groups, with one joke referring to Puerto Rico as a "floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean."
The controversy has swirled for days with Democrats pouncing on the joke targeting Puerto Rico voters to get out and vote for Vice President Harris. The Trump campaign quickly distanced itself from the joke after it was made.
Biden’s remarks about Hinchliffe came hours before he appeared to disparage Trump supporters during a virtual Harris campaign call with Voto Latino, a non-profit group which encourages young Hispanic and Latino voters to register to vote and become more politically involved.
"The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters," Biden said. "His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable and it is un-American."
The comment quickly went viral and sparked swift condemnation from critics.
"This is disgusting," Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance reacted. "Kamala Harris and her boss Joe Biden are attacking half of the country. There's no excuse for this. I hope [Americans] reject it."
The White House tried to clean up the comment by sending out a transcript adding an apostrophe to indicate Biden was only speaking about one supporter, not all: "The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporter’s -- his -- his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it's un-American."
Biden attempted to clarify his comments on social media as only directed at one supporter.
"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," Biden wrote on X. "His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That's all I meant to say. The comments at that rally don't reflect who we are as a nation."
Trump himself reacted to the "terrible" comment while speaking at a rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
"Remember Hillary? She said ‘deplorable' and then said ‘irredeemable,’ right? But she said ‘deplorable.' That didn't work out. ‘Garbage’ I think is worse," Trump said to his supporters. "But he doesn't know — you have to please forgive him. Please forgive him. For he not knoweth what he said."
"And I'm convinced he likes me more than he likes Kamala," Trump quipped.
Fox News’ Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.
