'Treated you like garbage': Trump uses Biden criticism as rallying cry in battleground North Carolina
Former President Trump said the Biden-Harris administration has treated the American people and "our whole country like garbage," claiming that it's now clear what President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris "really think of our supporters."
Trump held a rally Wednesday afternoon in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, just a day after Harris made her final pitch to voters in a speech from Washington, D.C.
The vice president’s address was quickly overshadowed by Biden’s remarks during a Zoom call with Voto Latino on Tuesday.
During the call with the group, which is one of the largest Latino voter and civic outreach organizations in the U.S., Biden was asked about a comment made Sunday during a Trump rally at Madison Square Garden in which comedian Tony Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a "floating island of garbage."
Biden replied: "The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters."
The White House has since denied that Biden called Trump supporters "garbage" and claimed the comment was taken out of context.
During the rally Wednesday, Trump said Harris has been "comparing her political opponents to the most evil mass murderers in history, and now, speaking on a call for her campaign last night, Joe Biden finally said what he and Kamala really think of our supporters."
"He called them garbage – and they mean it, even though, without question, my supporters are far higher quality than crooked Joe and Lyin’ Kamala," Trump told supporters.
But Trump said he had a response for the president and vice president.
"My response to Joe and Kamala is very simple: You can’t lead America if you don’t love Americans," Trump declared. "And you can’t be president if you hate the American people, and there’s a lot of hatred there."
Trump said Harris is "not fit to be president of the United States."
"She doesn't have the intellect, the stamina, or that special quality that real leaders must have to lead. We know what that is. It's a special power," he said. "Joe Biden, his comments were the direct result of Kamala and Tim Walz."
Trump decried Biden’s "decision to portray everyone who isn't voting for them as evil or subhuman."
"They're not subhuman. I look at it, you are not subhuman, and we know it's what they believe, because look how they've treated you," Trump said. "They've treated you like garbage… You know what the truth is? They have treated our whole country like garbage, whether they meant to or not, because they're grossly incompetent people, and they've destroyed our country."
Trump also blasted Harris and the Democrats for their insults of Republicans "for the past nine years."
"Kamala and her party have called us racists, bigots, fascists, deplorables, irredeemable Nazis, and they've called me Hitler," Trump said. "You know, many years ago, I had a father, a great guy, was a strong guy, a legitimate guy, strong. But, you know, he always used to tell me, ‘Never use the word Nazi. Never use the word Hitler.’ Now we're called Nazis, and I'm called Hitler. I'm not Hitler."
Trump reflected on his father, saying, "He's looking down. Well, my mother, I know she's looking down. My father's a little questionable because he was a little rough. I think he's looking down… He'd say, 'Can you imagine? That's what they're calling my son? I told him for years, literally never use the term ‘Nazis,’ ‘Hitler.’ Now they're using it on us.' It's unbelievable."
Trump added: "They've bullied you, they've demeaned us, they've demonized us and censored us… and weaponized the power of our own government against us."
Harris on Wednesday responded to Biden’s remark, defending the president and saying he "clarified his comments."
"I think that, first of all, he clarified his comments, but let me be clear, I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for," Harris said.
Harris, referring to her Tuesday night speech from the Ellipse near the White House, reiterated on Wednesday how voters will decide "who we are as a nation and whether we are going to be a nation of people who attempt to unify and breakthrough this era of divisiveness, or are we going to be a nation of people who have a president stewing in the Oval Office over his enemies list?"
"You heard my speech last night and continuously throughout my career," Harris said. "I believe that the work that I do is about representing all the people, whether they support me or not, and as president of the United States, I will be a president for all Americans whether you vote for me or not."
Harris told reporters she spoke with Biden Tuesday night but his "garbage" comment did not come up during their conversation.
"He did call me last night, but this didn't come up," Harris said.
Meanwhile, in North Carolina, Trump pitched voters, vowing to "end inflation. I will stop the massive invasion of criminals into our country. And I will bring back a thing called the American Dream."
"Our country will be bigger, better, bolder, richer, safer and stronger than ever before," he said. "And this election is a choice between whether we will have four more years of gross incompetence and failure, or whether we’ll begin the greatest four years of the history of our country."