Joe Biden's 'garbage' line about Trump supporters sent Kamala Harris' campaign into panic mode

Former Vice President Kamala Harris was sent into panic mode after former President Joe Biden referred to Trump supporters as "garbage" during a pivotal moment in the 2024 campaign, Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson’s book "Original Sin" revealed.

The 2024 presidential race was thrown into chaos after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe cracked an off-color joke about Puerto Rico at a Trump rally in October that critics called racist.

"I don't know if you guys know this, but there's literally a floating island of garbage in the … ocean right now, I think it's called Puerto Rico," Hinchcliffe said.

Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe cracked a joke reffering to Puerto Rico as a ‘floating island of garbage.’ (REUTERS/Andrew Kelly)

WHITE HOUSE ALTERED BIDEN'S 'GARBAGE' TRANSCRIPT DESPITE CONCERNS FROM STENOGRAPHERS

Democrats tried to turn Hinchcliffe’s joke into a political football, with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calling it "super upsetting" and said "it is an authentic depiction of how Donald Trump believes and what he thinks about Puerto Rico." 

Meanwhile, Biden delivered an address to Voto Latino, a Latino voter outreach organization, in which he allegedly called Trump supporters garbage, spiraling Harris’ campaign’s attempts to go on the offensive against Trump. 

"And just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico a ‘floating island of garbage.’  Well, let me tell you something… The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters," Biden said. 

Kamala Harris asked her team "what are we going to do about this?" (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

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"What are we going to do about this?" Harris reportedly asked her campaign team.

Biden's comments were made the same night Harris delivered what was billed as her "closing argument" and completely overshadowed her speech. The Trump campaign seized on Biden’s gaffe, calling the remark "terrible" and comparing it to Hillary Clinton’s infamous "basket of deplorables" comment about Trump supporters. 

Trump later staged a campaign event where he drove a garbage truck, and appeared at a rally wearing a yellow vest. 

Donald Trump talks to reporters as he sits in a garbage truck in Green Bay, Wisconsin on October 30, 2024.  (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

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Harris distanced herself from Biden's comments. 

"I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for, you heard my speech last night and continuously throughout my career. I believe that the work that I do is about representing all the people, whether they support me or not," Harris said.