She said the president has clarified his comments but that she doesn’t agree with criticizing voters based on who they support in elections.
“First of all, he has clarified his comments, but let me be clear, I strongly refuse to criticize people based on their voting choice,” she told reporters at Joint Base Andrews. Harris noted that in her own speech at the Ellipse on Tuesday night, while appealing to undecided voters, she promised to be a president for all Americans.
“I have been very clear to the American people that I will respect the challenges people face,” she said. “I am serious. If I am elected president, I will represent all Americans, including those who did not vote for me, and respond to their needs and their desires.” On Sunday, he called Puerto Rico a “floating island of trash.”
During a virtual event with Voto Latino, Biden distanced himself from those comments, saying, “The only trash I see out there is the demonization of Latinos by his supporters. It’s unconscionable and it’s un-American,” according to a recording released by the White House.
The president and the White House quickly clarified that Biden was talking about Hinchcliffe specifically.
Harris has come under fire for not wanting to elaborate on how her presidency would differ from Biden’s. During an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier earlier this month, Harris was asked to outline how her presidency would differ from Biden’s.
“Let me be clear: my presidency will not be a continuation of Joe Biden’s presidency,” Harris told Baier. “And like every new president who comes into office, I will bring my life experiences, my professional experiences and fresh new ideas to the table.”
During her Tuesday speech, Harris also revealed how her administration will be different from the current administration.
“My presidency will be different because the challenges we face are different,” she said, adding that four years ago, she and Biden were focused on ending the pandemic and shrinking the economy. “Now, our biggest challenge is getting costs down. Costs were already rising before the pandemic and are still too high.”