“Donald Trump has no character,” Biden declared. “He doesn’t give a damn about the Latino community. Just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico a floating island of garbage. … They’re good, decent, honorable people.”

“The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” Biden added. “His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American.”

The comment spread like wildfire on social media, and numerous Republicans and several Democrats denounced the remark. The Trump campaign blasted Biden’s remarks in a press release late Tuesday night.

“President Trump is backed by Latinos, Black voters, union workers, angel moms, law enforcement officers, border patrol agents, and Americans of all faiths — and Harris, Walz, and Biden have labeled these great Americans as fascists, Nazis, and now, garbage,” said Karoline Leavitt, Trump campaign national press secretary. “There’s no way to spin it: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris don’t just hate President Trump, they despise the tens of millions of Americans who support him. Kamala does not deserve four more years. President Trump will be a president for ALL Americans.”

Trump was campaigning in Pennsylvania on Tuesday and held a rally in the city of Allentown in the evening. He appeared to not know about Biden’s comment until Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) informed him of it while introducing him, the Washington Examiner previously reported. Trump joked that Biden was so aloof that he probably did not realize he had made the remark.

“Please forgive him, for he not knoweth what he said,” joked Trump.