GREEN BAY – Supporters of former President Donald Trump outside his rally here on Wednesday largely dismissed comments from President Joe Biden this week calling Trump supporters “garbage.”
Most of the nearly two dozen people interviewed by the Journal Sentinel as they waited in line ahead of Trump’s Green Bay rally appeared unbothered by Biden’s Tuesday comments. A handful of others, though, labeled the rhetoric divisive and upsetting coming from a president.
“You know, we were called deplorable in 2016. Now we’re deplorable garbage,” said Naralyn Durbin of De Pere, referencing a remark from Hillary Clinton. “So that’s fine. I’ll take it. It’s better than being called a liberal.”
“I brush it off. He’s not all there,” said Tom Gibson, a 76-year-old from Green Bay, referring to Biden. “But I’m surprised I don’t see anybody wearing a garbage can today. That’ll probably be around here.”
A reporter spotted one woman wearing a trash bag with the words: “Trump trash.”
“It’s not something a president should really even comment on,” said Brandon Sellisen, also of Green Bay. “I mean, it happens. But I don’t think it’s successful bashing on supporters of other parties.”
Biden’s remarks came during a virtual call on Tuesday with the Hispanic advocacy group Voto Latino. During the call, Biden was asked about a comic at a Trump rally in New York on Sunday who called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” and made other racist remarks about Latino people.
Biden responded by calling Puerto Ricans “good, decent and honorable people” before adding: “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American.”
The White House said the president was referring to the rhetoric at the Sunday rally at Madison Square Garden, and Biden later attempted to clarify his remarks in a tweet.
“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 comments at that rally don’t reflect who we are as a nation,” Biden wrote.
The remarks about Puerto Ricans drew condemnation from Democrats, who described the rhetoric as racist and offensive. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, likened the Madison Square Garden Trump rally to a 1939 Nazi event at the same venue.
Republicans, in turn, have seized on Biden’s remarks, saying the rhetoric is an attack on nearly half of the population in the U.S.
“Kamala’s boss and the sitting President of the United States last night called tens of millions of Americans garbage, which also includes every Wisconsinite who proudly supports President Donald J. Trump,” the Trump campaign’s Wisconsin operations said Wednesday.
Just outside Lambeau Field on Wednesday, some supporters shared similar sentiments.
“It made me upset,” said James Renner, who drove to the rally from his home in Marquette, Mich. Renner noted the disparaging remarks about Puerto Ricans were made by a comedian.
“Joe Biden is not a comedian, and he just referred to 50% or more of the country as garbage. Those are American people, and that’s disgusting,” he said.
Drew Domalick, a 37-year-old Green Bay resident, wore a “Deplorable Me” shirt as he walked his dog outside the rally venue. He said he was trying to “tune out” divisive rhetoric from both parties, including from Trump.
“To me, that’s part of the election, the political cycle,” Domalick said. “You have to say things to get into the media. If you’re not saying anything that is a little out there, then the media is not going to cover you.”
“Both sides say it,” he added. “The reason I don’t support Biden isn’t because he said something inflammatory, it’s because I don’t support his policies.”
Still, many Trump supporters told the Journal Sentinel the comments didn’t bother them, with several knocking Biden for his age and others delivering another message: “We know who we are.”
“I consider it (like the) deplorable comment,” said Jamie Longsine of Green Bay. “It’s a badge of honor. I consider it a badge of honor. I don’t care what he thinks.”
(This story was updated to add a photo or video.)
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