Former Obama speechwriter: Biden's become a liability for Harris
Former Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau said the best thing President Joe Biden can do for the Harris campaign is focus on his final months in office.
“I would look at the numbers, I would look at the race and say, I’m going to focus on being president over the next couple of days and that’s probably the best thing he can do not just for the Harris campaign, but himself and his legacy too,” Favreau said on CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper."
Biden received backlash after commenting on comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s joke about Puerto Rico claiming it was a “floating island of garbage” at former President Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally.
The president addressed Hinchcliffe’s remarks on Tuesday.
“The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporter’s— his— his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American. It’s totally contrary to everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been,” Biden said, according to a transcript clarified by the White House.
Some have reported that the White House was doing damage control as many believed Biden was referencing Trump supporters as “garbage,” which has caused Republican outrage.
Vice President Harris responded to those claims the next day by condemning any negative comments about voters.
“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 told reporters on Wednesday.
Favreau, a co-host of "Pod Save America," said the timing gave the Democratic candidate an “opportunity” to distance herself from the Biden administration.
“I actually think it was an opportunity for her that she took to separate herself a little bit from Joe Biden, which she has been — that’s been one of her big challenges and I think now she can say in these final couple days, ‘Look, I am out here trying to fight for every vote and trying to bring people together and sort of end the division in this country and Donald Trump is not and we are going to turn the page on all of that in a couple days’” he told Tapper.
Trump also used the incident’s momentum to capitalize on headlines by driving a garbage truck. The recorded stunt went viral on Wednesday.
Harris and Trump have spent the past few days hosting campaign rallies, completing interviews and sharing their final arguments in hopes of gaining the edge in a razor thin race set to be determined by battleground states and undecided voters.