Donald Trump has boarded a garbage truck as he hit back at comments by President Joe Biden about his supporters.
The former president walked down the steps of the Boeing 757 that bears his name in Green Bay, Wisconsin, walked across a rain-soaked tarmac and, after twice missing the handle, climbed into the passenger seat of the white garbage truck that also carried his name.
He has used Mr Biden’s remark as a cudgel against his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris.
“How do you like my garbage truck?” Mr Trump said, wearing an orange and yellow safety vest. “This is in honour of Kamala and Joe Biden.”
Republicans were facing pushback of their own for comments by a comedian at a weekend Trump rally who disparaged Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage”.
Mr Trump seized on a comment Mr Biden made on a call on Wednesday that “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters”.
The president tried to clarify the comment afterwards, saying he had intended to say Mr Trump’s demonisation of Latinos was unconscionable.
After arriving for an evening rally, Mr Trump climbed into the garbage truck and carried on a brief discussion with reporters while looking out the window — similar to what he did earlier this month during a photo opportunity he staged at a Pennsylvania McDonalds.
He again tried to distance himself from comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, whose joke had set off the firestorm, but did not denounce it. He also said he did not need to apologise to Puerto Ricans.
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…
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 30, 2024
“I don’t know anything about the comedian,” Mr Trump said. “I don’t know who he is. I’ve never seen him. I heard he made a statement, but it was a statement that he made. He’s a comedian, what can I tell you. I know nothing about him.”
A spokesperson for Mr Trump said the joke does not reflect his views, but the former president has not addressed it himself.
“I love Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico loves me,” Mr Trump said from the garbage truck.
He ended the brief appearance by telling reporters: “I hope you enjoyed this garbage truck. Thank you very much.”
When he took the stage a short time later, he was still wearing the orange vest.
