At a campaign rally in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Joe Biden joined the effort to boost Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz, but his comments sparked backlash and left many questioning whether his remarks did more harm than good. Speaking at a Carpenters Local Union 445 event on Saturday, Biden made a series of divisive statements aimed at Trump supporters, doubling down on earlier remarks that already angered a large swath of the electorate.
Biden’s most bizarre comment of the day came when he talked about confronting MAGA Republicans, saying, “These are the kinds of guys you like to SMACK in the a**,” while clenching his teeth. The comment left many in the audience perplexed and social media buzzing, with both supporters and critics wondering what Biden meant by the unusual phrase.
This remark comes just days after Biden stirred controversy on a campaign call when he labeled Trump supporters as “garbage.” During a virtual call with supporters on Tuesday, Biden was responding to a joke made by a comedian at a Trump rally, where Puerto Rico was humorously referred to as a “floating pile of garbage.” Biden took this as a chance to lash out, saying, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters.” His inflammatory statement, lumping millions of Trump supporters into the category of “garbage,” raised eyebrows and drew criticism across social and traditional media.
The fallout from Biden’s words has not been easy for Harris’s campaign to navigate. Harris now faces the challenge of addressing Biden’s disparaging remarks. In a tightly contested state like Pennsylvania, where every vote counts, such divisive language could turn away moderate voters who might otherwise support her ticket.
While Biden’s comments were intended to rile up the crowd in Scranton, they seemed to create unnecessary baggage for Harris. Critics argue that the president’s remarks run counter to the unifying message Harris has supposedly been trying to convey. After all, Pennsylvania, a key swing state, is a battleground where Democrats can ill afford to alienate voters on the fence.
With Election Day fast approaching, Biden’s repeated jabs at Trump supporters may end up having the opposite of the intended effect. Instead of rallying Harris’s base, his words have left her campaign scrambling to explain divisive comments that detract from her message. In an election season where every word counts, Biden’s rhetoric in Scranton could prove to be a liability rather than a boost for the Harris-Walz ticket.
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