Donald Trump arrived in Wisconsin on a garbage truck bearing his name after President Biden referred to supporters of the Republican candidate as "garbage."
Upon landing at the Green Bay airport in Wisconsin on October 30, former President Trump exited his Boeing 757 emblazoned with his name, crossed the tarmac, and climbed into the passenger seat of a white garbage truck also bearing his name.
"What do you all think of my garbage truck? This truck is dedicated to Kamala Harris and Joe Biden," said Trump, wearing a high-visibility sanitation worker’s jacket as he campaigned in the battleground state of Wisconsin in a last-ditch effort to sway voters before Election Day.
While official campaigning had concluded, both Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris continued to campaign in key battleground states in the final days leading up to the election, as any misstep by one candidate could mean a significant advantage for the other.
Trump, a former reality TV star, staged his garbage truck stunt to draw attention to President Biden’s recent remark, directed at supporters of the Republican candidate, following backlash over a controversial comment made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe.
During a Trump campaign event in New York on the night of October 27, Hinchcliffe had made racially charged jokes, describing Puerto Rico as "a floating trash island in the ocean."
The comment sparked a wave of backlash across the U.S., including from President Biden, who addressed it during a Zoom call with Voto Latino, a Latin voter advocacy group, on the evening of October 29.
"The only trash floating out there is the people who support Trump," Biden said, appearing to speak off-script. "Disparaging Latinos is beyond unacceptable; it goes against American values."
President Biden quickly posted a clarification on social media, explaining his remark. "All I wanted to say was that his disparagement of Latinos is unconscionable," Biden clarified.
However, Trump’s campaign seized on Biden’s statement, using it to criticize both the president and Vice President Harris. They argued that the remark illustrated the Biden-Harris administration’s disdain for Republican supporters.
When asked about Hinchcliffe's remarks, Trump, seated in the garbage truck, declared he had no obligation to apologize to Puerto Ricans.
"I don’t know that comedian, never met him. I love Puerto Rico, and Puerto Rico loves me," Trump told reporters.
"I hope you enjoy this garbage truck. Thank you very much," Trump said, concluding the brief interaction with reporters before taking the stage to continue his campaign, still wearing the orange reflective safety jacket.
Mr. Trump wearing a reflective protective vest gave a campaign speech in Green Bay, Wisconsin, October 31