Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at The PPL Center on October 29, 2024, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images))
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates told Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich that President Biden "referred to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as ‘garbage.’"
"The president was referencing a joke by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe in which he likened Puerto Rico to an island of floating ‘garbage’ in the middle of the ocean," he said.
The White House earlier told NBC News that the president was referring to Hinchcliffe.
WATCH:
Later, Biden tried to further clarify his comments, saying that he was denouncing Hinchicliffe's comments – not Trump supporters.
"Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump's supporters at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage—which is the only word I can think of to describe it," Biden wrote in a post on X. "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."
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro looks on as U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks following a briefing on Interstate-95 highway emergency repair and reconstruction efforts, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 17, 2023. (Julia Nikhinson / AFP) (Photo by JULIA NIKHINSON/AFP via Getty Images)
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Backlash from the comments came from both sides of the aisle, with Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro condemning Biden's remarks.
"I’m giving you my fresh reaction to it," he told Fox News Radio Political Analyst Josh Kraushaar on Tuesday. "I would never insult the good people of Pennsylvania or any Americans even if they chose to support a candidate that I didn’t support."
Fox News Digital's Joseph Wulfsohn contributed to this report.
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.
Story tips and ideas can be sent to sarah.rumpf@fox.com and on X: @s_rumpfwhitten.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/white-house-seeks-play-clean-up-after-biden-calls-trump-supporters-garbage