Harris responds to Biden 'garbage' remark for first time

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Harris responds to Biden's 'garbage' insult: 'I strongly disagree'

Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to reporters before campaigning in the final week of the presidential race.

President Biden’s "garbage" comment while talking about Trump supporters has the U.S. political world talking out loud, and Vice President Kamala Harris responded to the controversy for the first time on Wednesday.

Biden made his remark during a Zoom call on Tuesday with Voto Latino, one of the largest Latino voter and civic outreach organizations in the U.S. Harris, speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force Two, noted that Biden had "clarified his comments."

"I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for," Harris said. "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 added that Biden had called her Tuesday night after the event, but she said they did not discuss his "garbage" comment.

TRUMP HAS ANOTHER RESPONSE TO BIDEN'S 'GARBAGE' COMMENT ABOUT GOP SUPPORTERS

President Biden referred to Trump supporters as "garbage" during a virtual Harris campaign call. (Screenshot/CNN)

During Tuesday's Zoom call, 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."

Outrage spewed from Democrats over the next two days saying Trump’s campaign should not refer to Puerto Rico like that.

Then, as Harris was holding her last major campaign event — and not far from the White House — Biden was asked what he thought of Hinchcliffe’s comedy bit at the Trump rally in New York.

President Biden talks briefly with reporters as he departs the White House on Thursday. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

BIDEN CALLS TRUMP SUPPORTERS 'GARBAGE' DURING HARRIS CAMPAIGN EVENT AS VP PROMISES UNITY AT ELLIPSE RALLY

"The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters," Biden said. "[Trump's] demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it is un-American."

Biden tweeted later that evening, "Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump's supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage—which is the only word I can think of to describe it. 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."

Harris' running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz told ABC News' "Good Morning America" on Wednesday, "The president's clarified his remarks, but let's be very clear. The vice president and I have made it absolutely clear that we want everyone as a part of this. Donald Trump's divisive rhetoric is what needs to end. He called this a garbage country and continues on from ‘the enemy within.’ What you heard Vice President Harris say and what I say is, there's a place for all of us here, and I think that's the one. She's running for president. She's making the message and she delivered that speech on the Ellipse that showed what we can be as a country. So, I think America knows the direction we're going. She's laid out a new way forward, and that's what we're going to do for the next six days and then the next eight years after that."

Harris campaign senior adviser Stephanie Cutter told MSNBC, "The president did clarify what he was talking about, but the vice president has been clear that her campaign, her presidency is about all Americans. And, you know, when she's president, she's not going to care who you voted for. She's going to fight for you regardless, and I also want to say, spare me the faux outrage from Donald Trump, JD Vance and his campaign. Even as they're trying to argue that President Biden is disparaging Trump voters, the president is calling the entire country a trash can. You know, even at the Madison Square Garden [event], his supporters not only disparaged Puerto Rican Americans, but disparaged all Latinos. So, spare me the faux outrage."

Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for comment. Harris had responded to the Sunday afternoon comments by Hinchcliffe within several hours, with a 9:53 p.m. tweet.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., tells MSNBC that former President Donald Trump's MSG rally was a "hate rally." (Screenshot/MSNBC)

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Many top Republicans who are seeking re-election — like Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Florida Sen. Rick Scott — have also been quiet since Biden called many of their voters "garbage."

Based on the 74.2 million votes that Trump received in the 2020 election, according to the Federal Elections Commission, the sitting president called nearly half of the country’s voters "garbage."

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Fox News' Ben Florance and Allie Simon contributed to this report.