Biden Faces GOP Outrage Over Comment on Trump Supporters

President Joe Biden recently faced backlash from former President Donald Trump and Republican supporters for reportedly referring to Trump’s backers as “garbage” during a virtual campaign event. Speaking to attendees, Biden remarked, “The Puerto Ricans that I know in Delaware are good, decent people. They are not garbage. The only garbage I see floating around here are his supporters.” Later, Biden clarified on social media, stating he had been referring specifically to a rally speaker’s words, not all Trump supporters.

Republicans swiftly responded, with Trump’s spokesperson alleging that Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris “hate America” and don’t deserve another term in the White House. Trump, addressing supporters in Pennsylvania, countered Biden’s comments, saying, “No one else loves the Latino and Puerto Rican communities as much as I do. I’ve done more for them than any other president.” He labeled Biden’s words “a terrible thing.”

Meanwhile, it was reported that Chinese hackers have been targeting members of Trump’s family, including his son Eric Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner, as part of an alleged cyber-espionage campaign targeting key figures from both political parties. The hackers reportedly aimed to gather intelligence by intercepting calls and texts from a range of individuals, including former President Trump, his running mate JD Vance, and members of the Harris-Walz campaign. The New York Times was the first to report the involvement of Eric Trump and Kushner as primary targets. The hacking, which originated from breaches in major telecom companies AT&T, Lumen, and Verizon, is being investigated as one of the most severe national security breaches in recent years, according to CNN sources.

The attack, occurring just days ahead of the November 5 election, has sparked concern among US officials, who have noted that both Democratic and Republican leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s team, have been affected. Though the hackers have not made any attempts to sway election outcomes, they seem intent on gathering sensitive intelligence, potentially including national security information and Justice Department wiretap warrants.

In a parallel development, a new CNN poll conducted in Arizona and Nevada indicates a neck-and-neck race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, with voters nearly evenly split. In Arizona, Harris leads with 48% support to Trump’s 47%, while Trump holds a slim lead in Nevada at 48% to Harris’s 47%. Both states show no clear frontrunner, as results are within the margin of error. Opinions among voters in these states remain largely set on who would handle key issues best, while neither candidate has strongly shifted perceptions around attributes like vision or national interests.

Democratic Senate candidates in both states, Ruben Gallego in Arizona and Jacky Rosen in Nevada, currently lead their Republican opponents. Additionally, in Arizona, a constitutional amendment on abortion rights is widely supported by likely voters, with 60% expressing approval. Early voting has already begun, with a substantial portion of registered Republicans in Arizona having already cast their ballots, while Harris maintains a lead among those early voters.

Despite increased voter confidence in the electoral process, a gap remains, particularly among Republicans, regarding trust in the system’s accuracy, with confidence levels higher among Democrats in both states. This year’s election polling was conducted between October 21 and October 26, with samples in Arizona and Nevada weighed to reflect anticipated voter behavior.