President Joe Biden made a crass reference to supporters of former President Donald Trump, sparking widespread condemnation from Americans.

The remarks, originally reported on X by NBC News’ Gabe Gutierrez, were intended to rally Latino voters Tuesday. They followed comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s off-color joke about Puerto Rico at Trump’s event Sunday at Madison Square Garden.

“Donald Trump has no character. He doesn’t give a damn about the Latino community,” Biden said on the video. “Just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico a ‘floating island of garbage.’ Well, let me tell you something. … The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters.”

The remarks drew a sharp and swift rebuke—and even resulted in a rare clarification from Biden himself.

“Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage—which is the only word I can think of to describe it,” Biden wrote. “His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That’s all I meant to say. The comments at that rally don’t reflect who we are as a nation.”

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