WASHINGTON—President Joe Biden He sparked Republican ire when he weighed in Tuesday night racist jokes At Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally on Sunday.

At the event, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.” He also made rude, offensive and racist comments about Latinos and Blacks.

On Tuesday, during a video call to Latino voters, Biden defended the Puerto Rican community and appeared to criticize either Trump supporters or Hinchcliffe.

“They are good, decent, honorable people,” Biden said, referring to the Puerto Rican community. “The only garbage I see floating out there are his supporters. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable and un-American. “This is completely contrary to everything we do.”

The White House quickly went into damage control mode, with spokesman Andrew Bates saying in a statement that Biden “called the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally trash.”

The White House also sent a transcript to show that Biden did not mean to say Trump supporters were “trash” but that he had overstepped his words and specifically condemned Hinchcliffe’s remarks.

“At a rally the other day, a speaker called Puerto Rico a ‘floating island of garbage,'” read the White House transcript. “Well, let me tell you something. I – I – I don’t know the Puerto Rican that I know or the Puerto Rican that I’ve been to in my home state of Delaware, they’re good, decent, honorable people. The only bullshit I see floating around is his supporter – his – demonizing Latinos is unconscionable and un-American . It is completely contrary to everything we do, everything we do.”

Shortly after, Biden too He published a statement about X.

“Earlier today, I called trash a Trump supporter’s hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico at his Madison Square Garden rally; That’s the only word I can think of to describe it. His demonization of Latinos is illogical. That’s all I wanted to say. “The comments at that rally do not reflect who we are as a nation,” he wrote.

The White House updated the text of the text after its conversation with Biden, changing the word “supporters” to “supporters,” according to a person familiar with the matter.

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Still, the controversy distracted from what was supposed to be a big night for Vice President Kamala Harris, who was about to deliver her big “closing argument” speech at Washington’s Ellipse before Trump’s speech. supporters attacked the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

“It is time to turn a new page to drama, conflict, fear and division. “It’s time for a new generation of leadership in America,” he said. Harris said Tuesday night. “And I am ready to offer that leadership.”

Instead, attention turned to Biden, and Republicans used his words to undercut Harris’ message of unity. I’m talking to his address.

Trump co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita Responded to Biden’s remarks about XHarris, he writes, “hate you, and accordingly they hate the American soul vote, too.”

Trump’s running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, said in x: “This is disgusting. Kamala Harris and her boss Joe Biden are attacking half the country. There’s no excuse for this. “I hope the Americans will reject this.”

A senior Trump campaign official said that once the campaign became aware of the comment, it moved quickly to put it in front of Trump. Rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., was already scheduled to appear on stage, so a campaign official handed him a note containing the content of Biden’s remarks. Rubio then read the letter to Trump.

“This is terrible. “That’s what he says,” Trump said.

Trump later brought up Hillary Clinton’s comments during the 2016 presidential campaign, saying “half” of Trump supporters “deplorable basket” – comments widely seen as hurting him in the election.

“I think trash is worse, right?” Trump said. “But he doesn’t know. Please you must forgive him. Please forgive him because he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

Democratic Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro Presented with Biden’s comments Tuesday night on CNN. He said he heard these for the first time.

In reaction, he said, “I would never insult the good people of Pennsylvania or any American, even if they chose to support a candidate I do not support.”

“Those are definitely not the words I would choose,” he added. “I think it’s important that we focus on the contrast between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump and not attack supporters of either candidate.”

In an interview with Fox News this month, host Bret Baier asked Harris if she thought Trump supporters were “stupid.”

“Oh, my God. “I would never say that about the American people,” he replied. “And in fact, if you listen to Donald Trump, if you watch any of his rallies, he’s the one who tends to belittle, belittle the American people. “He is the one who talks about an enemy within, an enemy within, who talks about the American people, who claims that he will turn the American military into the American people.”

The Harris campaign did not respond to a request for comment on Biden’s remarks. But when asked what Biden said, a Harris aide said: “Whatever he meant, it wasn’t helpful at all.”

Democratic strategist Chris Kofinis said: “The final days of this race are becoming a sprint to the bottom of the discourse. Want to know why this race is close? It’s as if both campaigns are trying to find new and innovative ways to lose, let alone their surrogates. Cue the head slap.

This article was first published on: NBCNews.com