Former President Donald Trump arrived in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on the passenger seat of a white garbage truck bearing his name in a bid to spotlight recent remarks by his political opponent, President Joe Biden.
“How do you like my garbage truck?” Trump asked reporters gathered nearby. “This is in honor of Kamala and Joe Biden.”
The reference was aimed at a remark Biden made on Wednesday, implying Trump’s supporters were “garbage,” which Trump has since weaponized against both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump’s response comes amid backlash over comments made by a comedian at a recent Trump rally, who disparaged Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.” The controversy was fueled further when Biden, in a late-night call on Wednesday, said,
“The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters.”
Biden later clarified that his comment was directed at Trump’s disparagement of Latinos rather than his supporters.
Upon his arrival in Green Bay for an evening rally, Trump held a brief conversation with reporters from the garbage truck’s passenger seat, similar to a recent staged photo op at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania. Although Trump attempted to distance himself from the comedian, Tony Hinchcliffe, whose remarks sparked criticism, he stopped short of condemning them.
“I don’t know anything about the comedian,” Trump stated. “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 Trump added that the comedian’s joke does not reflect Trump’s views, though the former president has not directly addressed the incident.
“I love Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico loves me,” Trump said from the garbage truck before concluding the brief appearance. “I hope you enjoyed this garbage truck. Thank you very much.”
