Vulnerable Democrat Senate candidates are scrambling away from President Joe Biden as his “garbage” smear on Trump supporters endangers candidates’ viability, while others refuse to say whether or not they actually think former President Donald Trump’s supporters are “garbage.”
Arizona Democrat Senate nominee Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) entirely dodged Breitbart News’s comment request in response to whether or not he thinks Trump supporters are garbage.
“I am running to represent all Arizonans, regardless of who they vote for,” he said.
Breitbart News followed up, again asking if he views Trump voters as garbage and for his response to Biden’s extremely divisive comment, as well as his take on Vice President Kamala Harris’s reaction to it.
Gallego did not respond to the following questions hours after they were asked.
Biden disparaged Trump supporters during a video call with Voto Latino on Tuesday.
“The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” Biden said.
The clip went viral on social media and upstaged Vice President Kamala Harris’s closing argument speech at the Ellipse in Washington, DC.
Gallego’s opponent, Republcian Kari Lake, slammed him and brought receipts from when he called Trump supporters “the worst people in the world” in 2016.
“People who hate us don’t deserve the privilege of representing us,” Lake wrote in a post on X. “I don’t hate anyone. I just want to help Arizonans.”
While Gallego responded to Breitbart News’s initial comment request but avoided the follow-up, the senate offices of Sens. Bob Casey (D-PA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) did not respond to Breitbart News’s multiple comment requests Wednesday asking the senators, “Do you think Trump supporters are garbage?”
According to Washington Free Beacon investigative reporter Chuck Ross, a Casey spokesman gave a similar dodging statement that Gallego did to Breitbart News regarding the “garbage” insult.
“Senator Casey respects all Pennsylvanians regardless of how they vote,” the spokesperson said.
Republican businessman Dave McCormick, Casey’s opponent, blasted the weak statement on Wednesday night.
“Bob Casey cannot bring Pennsylvania together if he is too weak to condemn Joe Biden or anyone else calling half of our state garbage,” he wrote.
Inkl reports that “Baldwin’s campaign spokesman stated that Baldwin does not agree with President Biden’s comments.”
Republican businessman Eric Hovde, who is challenging Baldwin, released an ad Wednesday showing a previous video of Baldwin trashing Trump supporters and likening it to Clinton’s “basket of deplorables” comment.
Sen. Jacky Rosen’s (D-NV) campaign gave a more vigorous rebuke to the comments than Gallego and Casey.
“Senator Rosen strongly disagrees with disparaging anyone based on who they vote for,” a Rosen campaign spokesperson told Breitbart News. “As one of the most bipartisan and independent Senators, she works hard to find common ground across party lines and represent all Nevadans.”
Rosen’s opponent, Ret. Army Capt. Sam Brown (R) blasted Biden Tuesday night for trashing half of the country.
“Tonight, Joe Biden called half of America ‘garbage,” Capt. Brown wrote. “‘Garbage’ because we believe in putting America First, securing our borders, keeping men out of women’s sports, & making life affordable for working families.”
In a similar fashion to Rosen, Sen. Brown distanced himself from Biden, saying he disagreed that Trump voters are “garbage” in a statement to Breitbart News.
“Sherrod doesn’t agree with that and fights for all Ohioans, regardless of who they vote for,” Brown campaign spokesman Matt Keyes said.
One of Brown’s donors, Vinod Khosla, notably said Tuesday that Biden’s insult did not go far enough.
“Garbage is an understatement for MAGA extremists,” he tweeted.
Brown’s opponent, Republican businessman Berno Moreno, hammered Biden, Harris, and Brown on Tuesday night.
“We always knew career politicians like Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Sherrod Brown hated American citizens,” he wrote. “It’s obvious from their policies of open borders, high prices, and massive government overreach. Now, they are just saying the quiet part out loud.”
Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), who is Michigan’s Democrat Senate nominee, scolded Biden for his remarks while appearing on a local radio program, Fox News reported.
“He shouldn’t have said it, it’s inappropriate,” Slotkin told a Michigan radio station, Fox News reported. “For me, I just think that kind of talk is the last thing we need in our politics.”
Former U.S House Intelligence Chair Mike Rogers (R-MI), the GOP nominee for Senate in the Wolverine State, called out Biden, Slotkin, and Harris on Tuesday night.
“Michiganders living paycheck to paycheck aren’t garbage, Joe!” he wrote.
“The clear and disgusting contempt that Biden, Harris, and Slotkin have for Americans who don’t support their garbage policies is all you need to know and why we’re going to win next week,” Rogers added.