By james art The former president walked down the steps of the Boeing 757 that bears his name in Green Bay, Wisconsin, walked across the rain-soaked tarmac and, after missing the handle twice, climbed into the passenger seat of the white garbage truck that also carried his name.
He used Mr. Biden’s remark as a stick against his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris.
“How do you like my garbage truck?” said Mr. Trump, wearing an orange-and-yellow safety vest. “This is in honor of Kamala and Joe Biden.”
Republicans themselves faced backlash over comments by a comedian at a Trump rally over the weekend who dismissed Puerto Rico as a “floating island of trash.”
Mr Trump seized on Mr Biden’s comment during a call on Wednesday that “the only trash I see floating around there is his supporters.”
The president then sought to clarify the comment, saying he had intended to say that Mr. Trump’s demonization of Latinos was unconscionable.
After arriving for an evening rally, Mr. Trump climbed into the garbage truck and held a brief discussion with reporters while looking out the window — much like he did earlier this month during a photo opportunity he arranged in Pennsylvania McDonalds.
He again tried to distance himself from comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, whose joke sparked a storm, but did not denounce him. He also said there was no need to apologize to Puerto Ricans.
Earlier today, I called the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by a Trump supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally trash—which is the only word I can think of to describe it. His demonization of Hispanics is unconscionable. That’s all I wanted to say. The…
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 30, 2024
“I don’t know anything about the comedian,” Mr. Trump said. “I don’t know who he is. I’ve never seen it. I heard he made a statement, but that was a statement he made. He’s a comedian, what can I tell you. I know nothing about him.”
A spokesman for Mr Trump said the joke did not reflect his views, but the former president himself had not addressed it.
“I love Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico loves me,” Mr. Trump said from the garbage truck.
He ended the brief appearance by telling reporters, “I hope you enjoyed this garbage truck. Thank you very much.”
When he came on stage a little later, he was still wearing the orange vest.