OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Frank Luntz, a pollster and communications expert, said on CNN that President Joe Biden’s “garbage” mistake on Tuesday night would have a “huge” effect and could be the “turning point” that leads to former President Donald Trump’s victory in the race.
On Tuesday, Biden said, “The only people I see floating out there with garbage are his supporters.”
Biden later said that he meant “supporter’s” instead of “supporters” and that he was only criticizing comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who did a controversial act at Trump’s rally in New York City over the weekend. However, the comments caused a fire that both Biden and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris had to put out.
On Wednesday, CNN’s Brianna Keilar asked Luntz whether Biden’s gaffe would “move voters” toward Trump.
“It’s going to be huge because this is not some comedian saying something stupid and offensive at a rally where he should have been just basically disinvited. This is the president of the United States endorsing his vice president, saying something — and I know that there’s different interpretations about what he said — it’s still inappropriate. He still shouldn’t be doing it,” Luntz said.
“I’ve watched Trump already seize this. The ‘basket of deplorables’ was significant, was meaningful in 2016. In 2024, I can promise you that this is going to drive Trump turnout. And he’s doing it already. I can see — I’m sure there’s going to be ads on as soon as tonight about this,” he continued.
Luntz added, “This may be a turning point for those final 3% — and that’s all it is — who still need to be persuaded.”
Luntz went on to note that while “Trump offends” persuadable voters, who “don’t like him as a person,” “Harris scares them because they don’t know where she stands.”
WATCH:
FRANK LUNTZ: Joe Biden might’ve cost Kamala Harris the election by labeling his supporters “garbage”
H/T: @EndWokeness pic.twitter.com/uM5flUEHAR
— Martin Walsh (@MWalshUS) October 30, 2024
Trump immediately responded to Biden’s remark: “Wow, that’s what [Biden] says… garbage. I think it’s worse [than deplorable].”
Trump was talking about Hillary Clinton’s famous 2016 speech in which she called Trump’s supporters during his first run for office a “basket of deplorable.”
“Please forgive him for he knoweth not what he say. Honestly he doesn’t. And I’m convinced that he likes me more than he likes Kamala,” Trump said, referring to Biden’s declining mental abilities.
“No!” the crowd shouted back at Trump.
WATCH:
MARCO RUBIO: “I have breaking news, Joe Biden just moments ago stated that our supporters are garbage… I hope the Harris campaign apologizes because we are not garbage, we are patriotic Americans!” pic.twitter.com/H0C0Nf7p8y
— Martin Walsh (@MWalshUS) October 30, 2024
BREAKING: Biden calls Trump supporters “garbage” pic.twitter.com/wyfhxLQFf4
— Martin Walsh (@MWalshUS) October 30, 2024
Trump’s allies quickly piled on criticism of Biden’s insults.
“Just moments ago, Joe Biden stated that our supporters are garbage. I hope their campaign is about to apologize. We are not garbage, we are patriots who love America,” Rubio said while on stage with Trump.
Trump’s vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance slammed Biden, calling his comment “disgusting.”
“This is disgusting. Kamala Harris and her boss Joe Biden are attacking half of the country. There’s no excuse for this. I hope American reject it,” Vance said.
Donald Trump Jr. took to X, formerly known as Twitter, and stated: “The media spent all week crying about a joke from a comedian. Meanwhile, Tim Walz called Trump supporters Nazis. Kamala Harris refused to condemn it. And now Kamala’s biggest Democrat ally, Joe Biden, is calling all Trump supporters ‘garbage.’ Absolutely disgusting!!!”
Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung also condemned Biden’s remarks on X, writing that Vice President Kamala Harris and the president “HATE Americans and will do everything to crush us if they ever hold power again.”
The White House issued a statement trying to claim Biden was not referring to Trump supporters, despite his statement clearly referring to Trump supporters.
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates told Fox News that Biden “referred to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as ‘garbage.’”
“The president was referencing a joke by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe in which he likened Puerto Rico to an island of floating ‘garbage’ in the middle of the ocean,” Biden said.
Later, Biden tried to clarify his comments further, saying he was denouncing Hinchicliffe’s comments—not Trump supporters.
“Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporters at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage—which is the only word I can think of to describe it,” Biden wrote in a post 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.”
