WASHINGTON, October 30. /TASS/. US President Joe Biden clarified that he did not intend to label the supporters of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump as "garbage." Instead, he referred to their "hateful rhetoric" as "garbage."

"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 US leader stated on his X page.

On October 28, during a rally supporting Trump in New York, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made a derogatory joke, calling Puerto Rico "a floating island of garbage." The Trump campaign later distanced itself from Hinchcliffe's comments, asserting they did not reflect the views of the candidate or his campaign.

On October 29, Biden spoke at an online meeting with representatives of the US Latin American community, describing Puerto Ricans as "decent, honorable people." He added, "The only garbage I see floating out there is his [Trump’s] supporters."

The White House subsequently sought to clarify the president's remarks, stating he did not mean "his supporters" but "his supporter’s" in reference to Hinchcliffe, emphasizing that the original quote was longer.

Trump's supporters have criticized Biden’s comments. "This is disgusting. Kamala Harris and her boss Joe Biden are attacking half of the country. There’s no excuse for this. I hope Americans reject it," said Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance on his X page.

"We are not garbage: we are patriots who love America," remarked Marco Rubio, Republican Senator representing Pennsylvania.

This incident occurred just a week ahead of the upcoming presidential election.