The Scoop: Trump garbage truck aims to rile up fanbase ahead of election

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump climbed into the passenger seat of a garbage truck on Wednesday as a pre-election stunt meant to highlight negative remarks President Joe Biden appeared to make about his fanbase.

“The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” Biden said of Trump supporters. “His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American. It’s totally contrary to everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been.”

Those comments were in response to a comedian calling Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” during a Trump rally in New York City last weekend.

After his remarks drew criticism from Trump and fellow Republicans, Biden turned to social media to attempt to clarify the message, saying he was referring to the “hateful rhetoric” spewed during the Trump event at Madison Square Garden, not his supporters.

“That’s all I meant to say,” Biden wrote on X. “The comments at that rally don’t reflect who we are as a nation.”

Trump didn’t let that slide though. Donning a security vest, he traveled briefly in white garbage truck bearing his name to call out Biden’s comments and directly connect them to his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.

“How do you like my garbage truck?” Trump asked the crowd. “This is in honor of Kamala and Joe Biden.”

 Why it matters: Harris holds a slight lead over Trump, with 44% to his 43%, according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll. And with Election Day right around the corner, any misstep or criticism has the potential of leaving a lasting impression as voters make their way to the ballot box.

Trump’s camp found itself in hot water in light of the comments made in New York City. By latching onto Biden’s remarks, the Republican was able to not only change the headlines in the news cycle but also fire up his supporters.

With this garbage truck theatrics, Trump also made sure to connect the dots between Harris’ association with Biden.

As he has done throughout the campaign, Trump made a point of drawing out the connection between the president and his second-in-command. Those criticisms typically focus on policies or economic situations. However, in this instance Trump’s Harris-is-Biden approach meant to convince undecided voters that the Democrats have negative views of anyone who supports him.

Harris and her team took a significant step to distance themselves from Biden’s comments, without directly mentioning him. As she has in recent weeks, Harris uses her talking points to show that she’s her own person with her own ideas.

“I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for. You heard my speech last night and continuously throughout my career. I believe that the work I do is about representing all the people, whether they support me or not,” Harris told reporters while on the campaign trail. “And as president of the United States, I will be a president for all Americans, whether you vote for me or not.”

It’s unlikely that a presidential campaign is likely to come down to a ride in a garbage truck. But in this unprecedented presidential campaign season, anything is possible. It’ll be important for both candidates to be on top of their game through Tuesday. 

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Casey Weldon is a reporter for PR Daily. Follow him on LinkedIn.