Michigan Democratic Rep. Slotkin slams Biden over “garbage” forgery

Democratic Michigan Senate candidate, Rep. Elissa Slotkin, took issue with President Biden’s remarks calling supporters of former President Trump “garbage” and argued that the spoofing was “inappropriate.”

“He shouldn’t have said that, it’s inappropriate,” Slotkin said during an appearance on local radio Wednesday morning. “To me, I just think that kind of talk is the last thing we need in our politics.”

The comment comes after Biden took part in a virtual campaign call for Vice President Kamala Harris, where he was asked about comedian Tony Hinchiffe making jokes at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally that many claimed were offensive, including a joke in which the comedian referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of trash.”

BIDEN CALLS TRUMP SUPPORTERS ‘GARBAGE’ AT HARRIS CAMPAIGN EVENT, AS VP PLEDGES UNITY AT ELLIPSE RALLY

Rep. Elissa Slotkin (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

“The only trash I see floating out there is his supporters,” Biden said in response. “(Trump’s) demonization of Latinos is unconscionable and it’s un-American.”

The remarks were quickly compared to a legendary faux pas by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during her 2016 run against Trump for president, when Clinton labeled half of Trump’s supporters as being in “a basket of deplorables”.

The White House also immediately tried to walk back the comments, with spokesman Andrew Bates telling Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich that Biden “referred to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as ‘garbage.'”

President Biden speaks at a campaign event in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

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“The president was referring to a joke by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe in which he compared Puerto Rico to an island of floating ‘garbage’ in the middle of the ocean,” Bates said.

But Slotkin, who is currently fighting a tight Senate race with former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, argued that Republicans and Democrats should be able to debate their differences without the “unnecessary” rhetoric that Biden uses.

President Biden referred to Trump supporters as “garbage” during a virtual Harris campaign call. (Screenshot/CNN)

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“Most Michiganders, I think 80% of us, just want our government to work — Democrats and Republicans to debate their issues in a civil and reasonable manner” instead of “getting into name calling,” said Slotkin. “I didn’t like it, I thought it was unnecessary, but that’s why I think we’re all ready for this election to be over.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.

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