Biden's 'garbage' comment gaffe accelerates Harris' slow separation from president | US elections 2024

The delicate dance of Kamala Harris' presidential campaign to simultaneously show deference to Joe Biden, distance herself from his presidency and thwart his ambition to run for her has reached a critical point as the 2024 election nears its climax approaches.

The paces of the dance, which has been going on since Harris took the Democratic Party's nomination in August and involves efforts to protect the 81-year-old president's ego and feelings, grew even leaden overnight Tuesday after Biden appeared to support Donald Trump Trump called it “garbage”.

However, he clarified that he wasn't referring to Trump supporters, but rather their attitudes toward Latinos (in the official transcript, Biden said: “The only garbage I see going around out there is the demonization of his supporters – his – his — his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and “It's un-American,” the comment nevertheless sparked echoes of Hillary Clinton's infamous disparagement of a section of Trump's supporters in 2016.

In doing so, she threatened to at least partially undo the self-inflicted damage to the Republican campaign caused by a guest at Sunday's Trump rally who called Puerto Rico a “floating island of trash” and made a series of racist comments about Latinos, blacks and Jews.

Trump's campaign immediately sought to distance itself from Tony Hinchcliffe's comments and offset any loss of support in the critical 222 area code, a predominantly Latino corridor in Pennsylvania, a state home to more than 400,000 Puerto Rican American voters. Trump implausibly claimed to Fox News primetime host Sean Hannity that he had “no idea” who Hinchcliffe was (“Someone said there was a comedian who joked about Puerto Rico or something”), even though he Hinchcliffe's podcast Kill Tony has a huge following among Trump supporters, and rally organizers admitted they had reviewed all guests' speeches.

But Biden's recent bout of apparent misspeaking – last week he said of Trump, “We have to lock him up,” before immediately adding, “Lock him up politically” – could seal the deal when it comes to Harris' willingness to To allow Biden to campaign for them.

Harris had to address the latest gaffe on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday, where she noted that Biden had “clarified his comments,” adding: “I agree with any criticism of people based on who they voted for.” “Not at all.” Asked whether the incident could deepen the country's political divide ahead of the election, Harris said: “I've been very clear to the American public: I respect the challenges ahead that people stand by, and I respect the fact that we all still have so much to do.” more together than what divides us.”

While Biden's offers to join her have been met with “we'll be in touch” for some time, according to Axios, veteran Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf said it's now almost certain that Harris will aim to not be seen with Biden at all .

“Let him be president, but keep him off the campaign trail, because if he shows up, Trump will have a new target to divert attention from Harris,” he said. “As long as people focus on Harris, they won’t remember Biden, and Trump won’t be able to bring the two together as a Biden-Harris administration.”

In public comments, Harris has sought to defend her record as his vice president but also to distance herself from Biden – whose approval rating is at 39%, the lowest of the last seven US presidents at the end of their terms – in an attempt to distance herself as to present a candidate of change who will “open a new chapter” not only in the Trump era, but also in the Biden era.

Harris aides have likened the Biden-Harris relationship to a slow-moving breakup, according to Axios, which quoted an aide as saying, “It's a reminder of the last four years, not the new path forward.”

Biden's team didn't get the hint. Biden aides reportedly still believe “Scranton Joe” Harris could still help turn out white, working-class voters in the Rust Belt — and surprised their campaign by scheduling a Biden campaign in Pittsburgh over the weekend. Axios quoted a source as saying, “They're too caught up in their feelings” – and indeed, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a key figure in Biden's dramatic withdrawal from a second term in July, recently confirmed to the Guardian that she haven't spoken for him since.

The dynamic of president and vice president is not fixed. Al Gore refused to let Bill Clinton run for him in 2000, a decision that was widely seen as damaging to Gore's campaign: He narrowly lost to George W. Bush. And Bush campaign strategist Karl Rove predicted back in September that it was “highly unlikely” Biden would make campaign appearances for Harris: “Let's get it done and out of the way so we can say we did it.” have.”

This reverence may now be exhausted. “Vice President Harris is grateful for President Biden’s support and appreciates his advocacy,” Harris campaign spokesman Ian Sams told the New York Times on Wednesday. It felt like cool understatement.

“If Biden shows up, there will be chaos for them,” Sheinkopf said. “She needs to focus on herself and the electorate needs to focus on her.” It is “critically important to keep Biden as far away from Harris as possible as this is coming to an end.”