President Joe Biden sparked backlash from Republicans after condemning the racist jokes made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe at a Donald Trump rally. Biden defended the Puerto Rican community and criticized the demonization of Latinos, though his remarks were initially perceived as an attack on Trump supporters. The White House clarified Biden’s statements, emphasizing that he was referring to the hateful rhetoric at the rally, not Trump supporters as a whole. Despite attempts to clarify, the controversy overshadowed Vice President Kamala Harris’s planned speech on unity. Republicans used Biden’s remarks to undermine the message of unity that Harris was delivering. Trump and his allies responded to Biden’s comments, with Trump calling them “terrible” and likening them to Hillary Clinton’s “basket of deplorables” comments from the 2016 election. Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro distanced himself from Biden’s remarks, emphasizing the need to focus on the contrast between Harris and Trump instead of attacking supporters. The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Overall, the political discourse is becoming increasingly divisive as the election nears, with both campaigns seeming to struggle to stay on message and appeal to voters.
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