President Joe Biden faced backlash from Republicans after condemning racist jokes made at Donald Trump’s rally by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe. Biden defended the Puerto Rican community and criticized the demonization of Latinos, causing the White House to engage in damage control. While Biden clarified that he was condemning the hateful rhetoric specifically, Republicans used his remarks to undercut Vice President Kamala Harris’ message of unity. Trump’s campaign manager, Chris LaCivita, accused Harris and Biden of attacking half of the country, while Sen. JD Vance of Ohio called the remarks disgusting. Despite the controversy, Biden’s comment was quickly shared with Trump during a rally, with Trump comparing it to Hillary Clinton’s “basket of deplorables” comment. Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, reacting to Biden’s remarks on CNN, emphasized the importance of focusing on the contrast between Harris and Trump instead of attacking supporters of either candidate. Throughout the exchange, Harris continued to distance herself from denigrating American people, highlighting the divisive rhetoric in the final days of the campaign. Democratic strategist Chris Kofinis criticized both campaigns for engaging in negative rhetoric, indicating that the race is becoming a sprint to the bottom.
Photo credit
www.nbcnews.com