Former President Donald Trump arrived at a Wisconsin airport on Wednesday, greeted by a red, white, and blue “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN” garbage truck. Seated in the passenger seat and donning an orange safety vest, Trump smiled and asked reporters, “How do you like my garbage truck?” as the MAGA-themed vehicle made rounds on the tarmac.
“This truck is in honor of Kamala and Joe Biden,” Trump added.
The display followed a remark by President Biden, 81, who, during a recent campaign call at the White House, referred to some Trump supporters as “garbage.” The comment came after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, performing at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally over the weekend, made an inflammatory comment about Puerto Rico, describing it as a “floating island of garbage.”
“The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American,” Biden told members of Voto Latino Group on the call. Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris, speaking nearby at the Ellipse in Washington, DC, emphasized the Democratic Party’s commitment to unity.
Republicans quickly criticized Biden’s remark, comparing it to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 “basket of deplorables” comment. The White House later amended the official transcript to add an apostrophe to “supporters,” suggesting Biden was referring specifically to Hinchcliffe’s remark.
Biden attempted to clarify his statement on social media, posting, “His demonizations of Latinos is unconscionable. That’s all I meant to say.”
Puerto Rico and Trump
In response, the Harris-Walz campaign released an ad condemning Trump’s handling of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, with Harris saying, “I will never forget what Donald Trump did. He abandoned the island and offered nothing more than paper towels and insults.”
Trump, distancing himself from Hinchcliffe amid bipartisan backlash, claimed in the garbage truck interview that he was unfamiliar with the comedian. He instead expressed his “love” for Puerto Rico, saying, “Nobody has done more for Puerto Rico than me. I took care of them when they had the big hurricanes. They love me, and I love them.”
Pressed further about the comedian, Trump responded, “I don’t know anything about him. He’s a comedian; he made a statement. What can I tell you? Comedians say things, and I guess he went on early in the show.”
Hinchcliffe defended his comment as a joke. The MAGA garbage truck joined Trump’s motorcade en route to his Green Bay rally, where he will speak later tonight.