Updated October 30, 2024 at 8:21 a.m. ET

Shortly before Vice President Harris took the stage to deliver her campaign’s closing argument, promising to turn the page on division in the country, President Biden undercut that sentiment with a remark during a call video with a Latin American voting group.

In Biden’s remarks, it sounded like he was calling supporters of former President Donald Trump “trash.” Republicans latched onto the comments, saying Biden had called half the country “trash” and making the gaffe a rallying cry — much like Hillary Clinton’s “basket of deplorables” quip during of a fundraiser in 2016.

Biden and the White House quickly clarified his comment. But it gave Republicans an opportunity to circumvent the controversy sparked by a derogatory and politically toxic joke about Puerto Rico made by a comedian Sunday during a rally for Trump at Madison Square Garden.

The joke disrupted the presidential campaign in its final days, as Puerto Ricans have a strong presence in places like Pennsylvania, which the Trump and Harris campaigns consider a must-win state.

What Biden said

The problem is the placement of an apostrophe. During a video call Tuesday with Voto Latino, Biden appeared to be calling Trump supporters “trash.”

The White House quickly released a transcript to put Biden’s comment in a broader context, insisting that Biden had said “of supporters,” to refer to the comedian’s quote, not “supporters.”

Biden later attempted to clarify his comments on x.com, saying he was referring to the comedian’s joke at the rally.

What Biden’s gaffe means for Harris

Biden, who has a long history of gaffes, has kept a low profile since withdrawing from the race and supporting Harris.

Last week, in a rare campaign event, he attracted attention when he said of Trump “we need to lock him up,” before quickly adding “politically.”

Conservatives have long complained that Democrats use derogatory labels to describe their supporters. They point to remarks by candidate Barack Obama about “bitter” working-class voters who “cling to guns or religion” and former Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton who called Trump supporters “deplorables.” .

Biden’s remark landed while Trump was on stage at a rally in Allentown, Pa., where Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., took the stage to demand an apology from Biden.

“We are not trash: We are patriots who love America,” Rubio said.

The Trump campaign said this was an example of insults by the Harris campaign.

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