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Former President Trump said the Biden-Harris administration has treated the American people and “our whole country like garbage,” claiming that it’s now clear what President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris “really think of our supporters.”

Trump held a rally Wednesday afternoon in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, just a day after Harris made her final pitch to voters in a speech from Washington, D.C. 

The vice president’s address was quickly overshadowed by Biden’s remarks during a Zoom call with Voto Latino on Tuesday.

BIDEN CALLS TRUMP SUPPORTERS ‘GARBAGE’ DURING HARRIS CAMPAIGN EVENT AS VP PROMISES UNITY AT ELLIPSE RALLY

During the call with the group, which is one of the largest Latino voter and civic outreach organizations in the U.S., Biden was asked about a comment made Sunday during a Trump rally at Madison Square Garden in which comedian Tony Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.”

Former President Trump waves goodbye after a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 27, 2024, in New York City. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Biden replied: “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters.” 

The White House has since denied that Biden called Trump supporters “garbage” and claimed the comment was taken out of context.

During the rally Wednesday, Trump said Harris has been “comparing her political opponents to the most evil mass murderers in history, and now, speaking on a call for her campaign last night, Joe Biden finally said what he and Kamala really think of our supporters.” 

“He called them garbage – and they mean it, even though, without question, my supporters are far higher quality than crooked Joe and Lyin’ Kamala,” Trump told supporters. 

But Trump said he had a response for the president and vice president. 

“My response to Joe and Kamala is very simple: You can’t lead America if you don’t love Americans,” Trump declared. “And you can’t be president if you hate the American people, and there’s a lot of hatred there.” 

TRUMP CALLS FOR SUPPORTERS TO ‘FORGIVE’ BIDEN IN SHOW OF UNITY AFTER PRESIDENT CALLS SUPPORTERS ‘GARBAGE’

Trump said Harris is “not fit to be president of the United States.” 

“She doesn’t have the intellect, the stamina, or that special quality that real leaders must have to lead. We know what that is. It’s a special power,” he said. “Joe Biden, his comments were the direct result of Kamala and Tim Walz.” 

Trump decried Biden’s “decision to portray everyone who isn’t voting for them as evil or subhuman.” 

President Biden delivers a speech at Dundalk Marine Terminal in Baltimore. (Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images)

“They’re not subhuman. I look at it, you are not subhuman, and we know it’s what they believe, because look how they’ve treated you,” Trump said. “They’ve treated you like garbage… You know what the truth is? They have treated our whole country like garbage, whether they meant to or not, because they’re grossly incompetent people, and they’ve destroyed our country.” 

Trump also blasted Harris and the Democrats for their insults of Republicans “for the past nine years.” 

“Kamala and her party have called us racists, bigots, fascists, deplorables, irredeemable Nazis, and they’ve called me Hitler,” Trump said. “You know, many years ago, I had a father, a great guy, was a strong guy, a legitimate guy, strong. But, you know, he always used to tell me, ‘Never use the word Nazi. Never use the word Hitler.’ Now we’re called Nazis, and I’m called Hitler. I’m not Hitler.” 

Trump reflected on his father, saying, “He’s looking down. Well, my mother, I know she’s looking down. My father’s a little questionable because he was a little rough. I think he’s looking down… He’d say, ‘Can you imagine? That’s what they’re calling my son? I told him for years, literally never use the term ‘Nazis,’ ‘Hitler.’ Now they’re using it on us.’ It’s unbelievable.” 

Trump added: “They’ve bullied you, they’ve demeaned us, they’ve demonized us and censored us… and weaponized the power of our own government against us.” 

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally on the Ellipse on Oct. 29, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

Harris on Wednesday responded to Biden’s remark, defending the president and saying he “clarified his comments.” 

“I think that, first of all, he clarified his comments, but let me be clear, I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for,” Harris said.

Harris, referring to her Tuesday night speech from the Ellipse near the White House, reiterated on Wednesday how voters will decide “who we are as a nation and whether we are going to be a nation of people who attempt to unify and breakthrough this era of divisiveness, or are we going to be a nation of people who have a president stewing in the Oval Office over his enemies list?”

“You heard my speech last night and continuously throughout my career,” Harris said. “I believe that the work that I do is about representing all the people, whether they support me or not, and as president of the United States, I will be a president for all Americans whether you vote for me or not.”

Harris told reporters she spoke with Biden Tuesday night but his “garbage” comment did not come up during their conversation.

“He did call me last night, but this didn’t come up,” Harris said.

Meanwhile, in North Carolina, Trump pitched voters, vowing to “end inflation. I will stop the massive invasion of criminals into our country. And I will bring back a thing called the American Dream.” 

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“Our country will be bigger, better, bolder, richer, safer and stronger than ever before,” he said. “And this election is a choice between whether we will have four more years of gross incompetence and failure, or whether we’ll begin the greatest four years of the history of our country.”

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre denied that President Biden was referring to Trump supporters when he said Tuesday, “The only garbage I see out there is his supporters.” 

“Just to clarify, he was not calling Trump supporters garbage,” Jean-Pierre told reporters at the daily White House press briefing on Wednesday, reiterating that Biden put out a statement to clarify his remarks.

“He does not view Trump supporters or anybody who supports Trump as garbage,” she said, adding that Biden has said numerous times that he is a “president for all,” including those who did not vote for him. 

During a Zoom call on Tuesday, Biden was asked about a comment made Sunday during a Trump rally at Madison Square Garden in which comedian Tony Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.”

Outrage spewed from Democrats over the next two days saying Trump’s campaign should not refer to Puerto Rico like that.

Then, as Harris was holding her last major campaign event — and not far from the White House — Biden was asked what he thought of Hinchcliffe’s comedy bit at the Trump rally in New York.

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

Biden tweeted later that evening, “Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporters at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage—which is the only word I can think of to describe it. 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.”

Harris responded to the controversy earlier Wednesday, observing that Biden had “clarified his comments.” 

“I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for,” Harris said. “You heard me last night and continuously throughout my career. I believe that the work that I do is about representing all the people, whether they support me or not.”

Harris added that Biden had called her Tuesday night after the event, but she said they did not discuss his “garbage” comment.

This is a developing story and will be updated. Fox News Digital’s Scott McDonald and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.

Georgia’s top elections official is accusing Vice President Kamala Harris of lying about the state’s voter security laws.

“We have worked tirelessly to prepare for this election by adding early voting days and investing in infrastructure, creating more security and more voter convenience…only to be rewarded with the lies about ‘Jim Crow 2.0,’” Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said during a press conference on Wednesday.

Without naming Harris, the Republican state official took aim at her comments during a campaign speech in Michigan earlier this week.

“Frustratingly, recently, a candidate repeated that lie that we will lock up people that give water to voters waiting in line to vote,” Raffensperger said. “That’s a lie, because we don’t have any lines in Georgia. It’s just cheap politics.”

GEORGIA GOP CHAIR SHARES 2-PRONGED ELECTION STRATEGY AS TRUMP WORKS TO WIN BACK PEACH STATE

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger pushed back on Vice President Kamala Harris and other Democrats’ criticism of state voter laws. (Getty Images)

Harris said in Ann Arbor on Monday night, “I was just in Georgia. You know they passed a law that makes it illegal to give people food and water for standing in line to vote?”

“The hypocrisy abounds. Whatever happened to ‘love thy neighbor,’ right?” she added as the supportive crowd jeered.

FORMER REPUBLICAN US SENATOR ENDORSES KAMALA HARRIS, SAYS ELECTION OFFERS ‘STARK CHOICE’

Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for a response to Raffensperger.

The remark also got pushback from Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who mocked Harris’ short-lived 2020 presidential bid.

“Sounds like Kamala Harris just can’t handle the truth,” Kemp wrote on X on Tuesday. “We made it easier to vote and harder to cheat in Georgia. As a result, more than 3 million Georgians have already voted — that’s 3 million more votes than the Vice President got in the 2024 primaries.”

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp also criticized Harris’ comments. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Georgia officials moved to implement several new voting laws after the 2020 race put the Peach State under a microscope.

Among them was limiting the number of ballot drop boxes – which were not used in Georgia before 2020 – and restricting political groups from giving food and water to voters waiting in line on Election Day within a certain distance from their polling place.

Georgia also installed new ID requirements for absentee ballots.

Democratic organizations and civil rights groups accused Republican officials of restricting voter access with the measures.

‘ILLEGAL, UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND VOID’: GEORGIA JUDGE STRIKES DOWN NEW ELECTION RULES AFTER LEGAL FIGHTS

But Raffensperger and other Republicans have pushed back on those attacks, particularly in the wake of record-setting voter turnout in Georgia since early voting got underway on Oct. 15.

As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 45% of active Georgia voters have cast pre-Election Day ballots.

Meanwhile, Raffensperger cautioned both candidates to accept a loss “gracefully,” comparing it to his grandson losing his recent baseball playoff game. 

More than 45% of active voters in Georgia have cast ballots early. (Megan Varner/ Washington Post)

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“As soon as they came up short, and they lost, I know that they were disappointed. But what they did, because both teams were good sportsmen, they lined up, and they did that passing of shaking each other’s hand and said, ‘Congratulations, good game,’” he said.

“As a grandparent, I’m proud to see that. But just as an American, I think that’s wonderful, because I think that’s what America is – is gracefully accepting your wins, but also gracefully accepting your losses.”

He vowed, “I will hold both parties accountable to you, the voters of Georgia.”

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub. 

Republican and Democrat senators have been out on the 2024 campaign trail in full force ahead of critical elections, including those who are not seeking office themselves this cycle. 

As the GOP looks to retake the majority in the Senate, leader candidates Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, have not been the only ones lending a helping hand to candidates. 

Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., are among those who have used the congressional recess to campaign with other Republicans. 

Both Ernst and Cotton are notably running to be the next Republican conference chair. 

TOP REPUBLICANS PROBE BIDEN ADMIN ON AFGHAN NATIONALS’ ALLEGED ELECTION DAY TERRORIST PLOT

Senators not currently in-cycle are still crisscrossing the country for their parties. (Reuters)

Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso, R-Wyo., has also hit the trail often, even as he vies for re-election in a noncompetitive Wyoming race. He is running unopposed to replace Thune as Republican whip. 

“No candidate ever forgets the help they receive in their moment of need, and any senator looking to build relationships is smart to lend a hand on the campaign trail. And all of your existing colleagues appreciate when you’re giving up your time to earn a majority,” said former top aide to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., John Ashbrook, a Republican strategist.

HARRIS BREAKS SILENCE AFTER GOP LEADERS SAY ANTI-TRUMP RHETORIC ‘RISKS INVITING’ ANOTHER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

Ernst has traveled to Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska, Montana, Nevada, Ohio and Pennsylvania since June, hitting some of the states multiple times. 

The Iowa Republican specifically campaigned with Montana Republican Senate candidate Tim Sheehy, Ohio Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno, Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers, Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick and Nevada Republican Senate candidate Sam Brown, according to a schedule shared with Fox News Digital. 

From left to right, Republican candidates Sam Brown, Bernie Moreno, Eric Hovde, Tim Sheehy and Dave McCormick are taking on vulnerable Democratic incumbents. (Getty Images)

“Kamala Harris and Democrats are trying to destroy the country I know and love, the one I fought for,” she told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement. “That’s why I refuse to sit on the sidelines. Throughout the year, I’ve been crisscrossing our great country to elect Republicans up and down the ballot, bring a Donald Trump victory home, and recruit the next lineup of my Senate colleagues.”

“With days until Election Day, we can’t let up. We must run across the finish line. This barnstorm of battleground states will ensure Kamala Harris and Chuck Schumer can never again open our nation’s borders to a stampede of illegal immigrants and terrorists, unlock historic inflation, destroy America’s reputation on the world stage, or force radical green mandates on hardworking Americans.”

SEN TAMMY BALDWIN HITS BACK AT GOP OPPONENT’S CLINTON COMPARISON: ‘ACTUALLY CALLED YOU DEPLORABLE’

Cotton similarly joined Sheehy, Moreno, Rogers, Brown and McCormick during his travels in the pivotal states. He additionally campaigned in Arizona with Republican candidate Kari Lake, in Wisconsin with Republican candidate Eric Hovde and in Florida with Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. 

Sens. Joni Ernst and Tom Cotton are both campaigning to lead the GOP conference. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The Arkansas Republican will be hitting both Texas and Nebraska this week to support Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Deb Fischer, R-Neb., according to a schedule shared with Fox News Digital.

Incumbent Democrats have also been deploying to crucial races to offer assistance, with Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., and Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., traveling during the election cycle. 

Booker has rivaled his Republican colleagues with his heavy campaign schedule this cycle. The New Jersey Democrat had appearances reportedly slated in Arizona, Georgia, New Hampshire, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas, despite having already visited many of the states this year. 

Additionally, he has appeared in Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, South Carolina and Wisconsin, per the New Jersey Globe. 

‘ILL-FATED EFFORT’: MCCONNELL WAS ‘FURIOUS’ AT RICK SCOTT’S 2022 LEADER BID, BOOK SAYS

Sen. Cory Booker has had a heavy travel schedule. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Both Warnock and Ossoff have been assisting Vice President Kamala Harris in their home state of Georgia, but their activities have also extended to other key states. The two Democrats have each made trips to Michigan, and Warnock has also lent a helping hand to Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., in his Senate race.  

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Senators have a vested interest in expanding their party within Congress, giving them the opportunity to act on their legislative goals. However, with Republican leadership elections coming just after the presidential election, the campaign trail is also a place to show personal loyalty and build on relationships. 

For example, Ernst is not only helping out those in competitive elections. The Iowa Republican hosted two Republican Senate candidates last month on a co-delegation trip to the Middle East. Reps. Jim Banks, R-Ind., and John Curtis, R-Utah, are heavily favored to sweep their respective elections to the U.S. Senate. According to Ernst’s office, her invitation was to prepare the expected new members to be strong on national security in the upper chamber. 

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Early in-person Republican voters in deep blue New Jersey are slightly outpacing their Democratic neighbors, data shows. 

Early in-person voting kicked off in the Garden State on Saturday, with 247,003 residents casting their votes over the weekend alone, NJ.com reported. Republican early in-person voters have taken the lead in the state, with 144,105 GOP votes cast compared to Democrats’ 139,524 votes, state data analyzed by an Associated Press elections researcher found as of Tuesday. 

“What we’re seeing is phenomenal. Republicans are finally embracing the opportunity to vote early. The return rate on vote by mail ballots has been fantastic. Local Republican organizations are doing a great job in getting the word out,” New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli said Wednesday on “Fox & Friends First” in reaction to the data. 

Democrats in the deep blue state still have the edge over Republicans for vote-by-mail ballots at 383,062 compared to 130,362, the New Jersey Globe reported. All in, New Jersey has 6,562,735 registered voters this cycle, state data shows.

Of those registered, 2,497,951 are registered Democrats, 1,564,964 are Republicans, and 2,420,522 are unaffiliated, state data show. 

TRUMP HOLDS MASSIVE BEACHFRONT CAMPAIGN RALLY FOR RAUCOUS NEW JERSEY CROWD: ‘WE’RE GOING TO WIN’

The blue state last voted for a Republican presidential candidate in 1988, when Republican Vice President George H. W. Bush defeated Democrat Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis. The state had voted for Republican candidates from 1968 until 1992, when the state kicked-off its ongoing blue voting trends. 

Former President Donald Trump has made early voting a hallmark of his campaign, bucking the Republican tradition of voting in-person on Election Day. He spoke to voters in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, when he again urged voters to head to the polls early. 

TRUMP’S WILDWOOD, NJ RALLY WAS ‘TRULY STUNNING’: JOE CONCHA

​​”I don’t like to speak too early, but you have to get out and vote because we … we want a big, beautiful number. We’re leading in every single swing state. Because, normally Republicans, they like to vote at the end no matter what you say, they like to vote at the end,” Trump said from the Allentown rally. 

Former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event at Wildwood Beach in Wildwood, New Jersey, on Saturday, May 11, 2024. ( Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Elections experts have pointed to Trump’s remarks encouraging early voting as a likely catalyst for the state’s record number of votes a week ahead of Election Day. 

“First, former President Trump has told his supporters to vote early. So, I think, when all the numbers are considered, we will see a shift among Republicans from voting on Election Day to voting early in person,” Ben Dworkin, director of the Rowan University Institute for Public Policy and Citizenship, told NJ.com about the flood of early votes this cycle. 

TRUMP SUPPORTERS FLOCK TO MASSIVE NEW JERSEY CAMPAIGN RALLY TO HEAR FORMER PRESIDENT SPEAK AMID ONGOING TRIALS

A billboard at former President Donald Trump’s rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, declaring the historical blue New Jersey is “Trump Country.” (The Image Direct for Fox News Digital)

TRUMP SUPPORTERS OUTSIDE MADISON SQUARE GARDEN SAY ‘EXHILARATING’ RALLY SHOWS NY IS IN PLAY

“This is not a race in which a lot of people can’t decide between Harris and Trump. They’ve decided and once the doors were opened to early voting, they are going to drive on in,” he added. 

Trump has campaigned in the Garden State, including holding a massive rally on South Jersey’s Wildwood beach in May. 

“We’re going to win New Jersey,” Trump told the crowd, which Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew described as “the biggest political rally in the history of New Jersey.”

Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. (Getty Images)

Ciattarelli continued in his comments to “Fox & Friends First” on Wednesday that the Republican Party “can win” the presidential race and down the ballot. 

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“New Jersey is not a deep blue state. We can win here and and I do think Donald Trump’s going to do that as well as our US Senate candidate, our congressional candidates, and many of our local candidates,” he said. 

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

• Arthur Ray Hanson II was sentenced to a year and nine months in prison for leaving threatening phone messages for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat.
• Hanson left the voicemails that prosecutors say were laced with profanity and racial slurs last summer when he was angry about an investigation into former President Donald Trump.
• Hanson pleaded guilty in June to leaving threatening phone messages. He was tearful as he apologized to Willis and Labat at Tuesday’s hearing.

An Alabama man who left threatening phone messages for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and the county sheriff last summer because he was angry over an investigation into former President Donald Trump was sentenced Tuesday to nearly two years in prison.

Arthur Ray Hanson II, of Huntsville, made the phone calls just over a week before Trump and 18 others were indicted in Fulton County in August 2023 over efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Federal prosecutors say Hanson left voicemails laced with profanity and racial slurs for Willis and Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat.

U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee in Atlanta said he found Hanson’s behavior “appalling” and that the victims’ fear was “real and legitimate.” He sentenced Hanson to serve a year and nine months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He also ordered Hanson to pay a fine of $7,500.

FANI WILLIS ASKS GEORGIA APPEALS COURT TO RESTORE 6 CHARGES AGAINST TRUMP, CO-DEFENDANTS

Hanson had pleaded guilty in June to leaving threatening phone messages. Speaking for nearly 10 minutes during Tuesday’s hearing, Hanson was tearful as he apologized to Willis and Labat.

“I’m truly sorry for making those phone calls,” he said. “That is not who I am.”

Willis told the judge that the threats left her fearing not only for herself but for the lives of her daughters and her father. Before she’s the district attorney, she’s a mom, she told the judge: “Mom was really scared.”

Arthur Ray Hanson II of Huntsville, Alabama, was sentenced to nearly two years in prison for leaving threatening phone messages for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat last summer when Hanson was angry over an investigation into former President Donald Trump. (Alex Slitz-Pool/Getty Images)

Labat also briefly addressed the court, saying the threats exposed his family to “the ugly side of the job.”

Defense attorney Tyler Wolas told the judge that Hanson has a history of abusing alcohol. In pushing for a lesser sentence, he also said Hanson suffers from grand mal seizures and, after his arrest, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Wolas noted that Hanson had completed an anger management course and is regularly attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

Three of Hanson’s friends and his 19-year-old son told the judge that he is a good and generous person and that those phone calls don’t reflect the man they know.

Hanson said he had been drinking and didn’t remember leaving the messages. He said he was “repulsed and sickened” when he heard the recordings. He said he is not racist, though he acknowledged it might sound that way, and said Willis and Labat did not deserve to be threatened.

He used to be someone who was a regular commenter online and allowed himself to get caught up in a “social media frenzy,” he said, adding that he has given up social media and stopped drinking.

The Fulton County indictment on Aug. 14, 2023, was the fourth criminal case brought against Trump in a matter of months and was widely anticipated. When reporters asked shortly before it was returned whether Trump would have a mug shot taken if he was charged, the sheriff said, “Unless someone tells me differently, we are following our normal practices and so it doesn’t matter your status, we’ll have a mug shot ready for you.”

Hanson called the Fulton County government customer service line and left voicemails for the prosecutor and the sheriff on Aug. 6, 2023. Prosecutors included transcripts of the messages in a sentencing memo submitted to the court.

In a message for Willis, Hanson warned her to watch out, that she won’t always have people around who can protect her and that there would be moments when she would be vulnerable. “When you charge Trump on that fourth indictment, anytime you’re alone, be looking over your shoulder,” he said, according to the transcript.

In the message for Labat, Hanson threatened the sheriff, warning him not to take a mug shot of Trump. “I’m just telling you that if you take a mugshot of the president and you’re the reason it happened, some bad (expletive)’s probably gonna happen to you,” the voice message said, according to court records.

Hanson’s attorneys had asked that he be sentenced to probation and community service or to home confinement rather than prison. They noted that his 19-year-old son lives with him and that his mother has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and has little time left to live.

Prosecutor Bret Hobson called Hanson’s crime “incredibly serious” and said he caused real harm to the victims and their families. He asked for the sentence that was given, which was at the low end of federal sentencing guidelines. He argued that anyone who considers threatening a public official “needs to think prison is a possibility.”

Boulee said he would have given Hanson a longer sentence, but he took into account what his lawyers and loved ones said, as well as prosecutors’ recommendation. But he made clear that he found Hanson’s behavior unacceptable.

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“To add insult to injury, you not only attacked them for doing their job, you attacked them because of the color of the skin,” Boulee said. He said the racial slurs in the messages were an “attempt to make them feel low and less valued.”

Willis said after the hearing that she had forgiven Hanson. She said it was important that the judge mentioned the racist nature of the threats so that Black people know they can come into a courtroom and feel protected.

Willis is running for re-election, and the case against Trump is largely on hold while a pretrial appeal is pending. But when asked whether she plans to continue her prosecution if Trump wins next month’s presidential election, Willis said she plans to “continue to prosecute every single case in my office.”

President Biden says he wants to take pro-Trump comedian Tony Hinchliffe ‘for a swim’ following the comic’s controversial remarks at Sunday’s Trump campaign rally at Madison Square Garden. 

Biden made the off-the-cuff comment at Baltimore’s harbor in Maryland on Tuesday while promoting the effects of large spending bills under his administration.

“I’m proud to announce more than $3 billion in funding from my Inflation Reduction Act to help clean up and modernize ports in 27 different states and territories from Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan and beyond — including, yes, Puerto Rico,” Biden said to the applauding crowd before making the throwaway comment. 

KAMALA HARRIS CAMPAIGN SILENT AFTER BIDEN’S ‘GARBAGE’ GAFFE REFERRING TO TRUMP SUPPORTERS

President Biden says he wants to take pro-Trump comedian Tony Hinchliffe “for a swim” following the comic’s controversial remarks at Sunday’s Trump campaign rally at Madison Square Garden. Biden is pictured delivering remarks on his the effects of large spending bills under his administration. (Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images)

“I’d like to take that guy for a swim out there, anyway,” Biden added, referring to Hinchliffe, as the audience chuckled. 

“Steny’s looking at me, ‘Don’t get going Joe, don’t get going Joe, slow up,’” Biden said, referring to Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md, before getting back to his speech. 

Biden did not elaborate about what he might do on the swim. After a wry smile and brief pause, Biden got back on script and continued his speech. 

Biden’s taunt at Hinchliffe mirrored the 46th president’s jabs at former President Trump in 2016 when Biden said, “I wish we were in high school — I could take him behind the gym.”

Hinchiffe made jokes at Sunday’s massive rally mocking different ethnic groups, with one joke referring to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean.” 

The controversy has swirled for days with Democrats pouncing on the joke targeting Puerto Rico voters to get out and vote for Vice President Harris. The Trump campaign quickly distanced itself from the joke after it was made. 

Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe speaks during a rally for Republican presidential nominee and former President Trump at Madison Square Garden, in New York, on Oct. 27, 2024.  (REUTERS/Andrew Kelly)

Biden’s remarks about Hinchliffe came hours before he appeared to disparage Trump supporters during a virtual Harris campaign call with Voto Latino, a non-profit group which encourages young Hispanic and Latino voters to register to vote and become more politically involved.

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

The comment quickly went viral and sparked swift condemnation from critics. 

“This is disgusting,” Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance reacted. “Kamala Harris and her boss Joe Biden are attacking half of the country. There’s no excuse for this. I hope [Americans] reject it.”

The White House tried to clean up the comment by sending out a transcript adding an apostrophe to indicate Biden was only speaking about one supporter, not all: “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporter’s — his — his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American.”

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President Biden also referred to Trump supporters as “garbage” during a virtual Harris campaign call. (CNN)

Biden attempted to clarify his comments on social media as only directed at one supporter.

“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 on X. “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.”

Trump himself reacted to the “terrible” comment while speaking at a rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania. 

“Remember Hillary? She said ‘deplorable’ and then said ‘irredeemable,’ right? But she said ‘deplorable.’ That didn’t work out. ‘Garbage’ I think is worse,” Trump said to his supporters. “But he doesn’t know — you have to please forgive him. Please forgive him. For he not knoweth what he said.”  

“And I’m convinced he likes me more than he likes Kamala,” Trump quipped. 

Fox News’ Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report. 

Former President Trump and Vice President Harris are in a deadlock tie in the battleground state of Michigan as the nation sits less than one week from Election Day.

A Wednesday poll from USA Today found that Trump and Harris are both tied at 47% among likely voters in Michigan. The poll surveyed 500 likely voters from Oct. 24 to Oct. 27, advertising a margin of error of 4.4%.

The poll also found Robert F. Kennedy Jr. receiving roughly 1% of the vote, despite him dropping out of the race and endorsing Trump. Kennedy’s efforts to get his name removed from ballots in Michigan have been unsuccessful, with the Michigan Supreme Court ruling against the move this fall.

The poll comes as Harris’ lead in a Reuters national poll has shrunk to just one point, with the vice president sitting at 44% to Trump’s 43%.

MILLIONS OF VOTERS HAVE ALREADY CAST BALLOTS FOR NOV. 5 ELECTION

Former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris remain in a dead even tie in the race for President.

The Tuesday poll found Harris’s lead had shrunk compared to a poll conducted earlier in October that showed her with a two-point lead.

The Reuters poll surveyed 1,150 U.S. adults across the country, including 975 registered voters.

The poll also found Harris slipping on some of her key issues, such as voters’ concerns about extremism and threats to democracy. A Reuters poll earlier in October found that she had a 7-point lead over Trump on the issue, but the Tuesday poll found that lead shrank to just 2%.

Polls show Trump is more popular than Harris on several key issues. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Wednesday’s poll comes after another USA Today poll found Harris and Trump locked in another dead heat in Wisconsin on Monday. That state poll of 500 likely voters had Trump at 48% compared to Harris’ 47%.

BATTLEGROUND STATE OFFICIALS SAY FOREIGN ENEMIES USING MISINFORMATION TO ‘UNDERMINE’ DEMOCRATIC PROCESS

Wisconsin is one of three Rust Belt states that voted for Trump in 2016, then flipped back to the Democrats in 2020. President Biden won the state by just 20,682 votes, or 0.7 points.

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As of Monday morning, early voters in Wisconsin cast 850,163 ballots, whereas nationwide more than 41 million votes have already been cast in the election. 

Fox News’ Stephen Sorace contributed to this report

Vice President Kamala Harris, who has indicated that she would be willing to undergo a cognitive test, has also suggested that under a Harris administration, the U.S. would swiftly remove individuals who illegally enter the country, “prosecute the cartels,” and provide Border Patrol with needed support.

“CBS Evening News” anchor and managing editor Norah O’Donnell confronted Harris about former President Donald Trump’s claim that the vice president is “a very low-IQ person” who should undergo a test.

“Would you take a cognitive test?” O’Donnell asked.

“Sure,” Harris responded, adding, “I would challenge him to take the same one.”

She claimed that Trump “is increasingly unstable and unhinged.”

HARRIS-TRUMP SHOWDOWN: THE VICE PRESIDENT GIVES CLOSING ARGUMENT WITH WHITE HOUSE AS BACKDROP

Democratic presidential nominee U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally on the Ellipse on Oct. 29, 2024 in Washington, D.C.  (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

During a lengthy interview on Joe Rogan’s podcast, Trump suggested that everyone who seeks the presidency should undergo testing. 

“I think you should take cognitive tests,” he said. “I think Kamala should have a test because there’s something missing, there’s something wrong with her.”

Earlier this month in a post on Truth Social, Trump declared, “I believe it is very important that Kamala Harris pass a test on Cognitive Stamina and Agility. Her actions have led many to believe that there could be something very wrong with her.”

FULL INTERVIEW: VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS SITS DOWN WITH BRET BAIER IN ‘SPECIAL REPORT’ EXCLUSIVE

Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, speaks during a campaign rally on the Ellipse on Oct. 29, 2024 in Washington, D.C.  (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Republicans have been hammering Democrats over the border crisis throughout President Joe Biden’s White House tenure, and earlier this month the National Border Patrol Council, a union, endorsed Trump.

But Harris is suggesting that as president, she would tackle the problem.

“When I was attorney general of a border state, I saw the chaos and violence caused by transnational criminal organizations that I took on. And when I am president, we will quickly remove those who arrive here unlawfully, prosecute the cartels, and give Border Patrol the support they so desperately need,” Harris said during a speech at the Ellipse in Washington D.C. on Monday.

GEORGE W BUSH’S DAUGHTER JOINS HARRIS ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL: ‘IT WAS INSPIRING’

Democratic presidential nominee U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally on the Ellipse on Oct. 29, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

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“At the same time, we must acknowledge we are a nation of immigrants. And I will work with Congress to pass immigration reform, including an earned path to citizenship for hard-working immigrants, like farmworkers and our dreamers,” she added.

President Biden’s “garbage” comment while talking about Trump supporters has the U.S. political world talking out loud. Everyone except Vice President Kamala Harris and top Democrats, that is.

The Harris campaign has been silent since Biden made his remark during a Zoom call on Tuesday with Voto Latino, one of the largest Latino voter and civic outreach organizations in the U.S.

During the call, Biden was asked about a comment made Sunday during a Trump rally at Madison Square Garden in which comedian Tony Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.”

TRUMP HAS ANOTHER RESPONSE TO BIDEN’S ‘GARBAGE’ COMMENT ABOUT GOP SUPPORTERS

President Biden referred to Trump supporters as “garbage” during a  virtual Harris campaign call. (Screenshot/CNN)

Outrage spewed from Democrats over the next two days saying Trump’s campaign should not refer to Puerto Rico like that.

Then, as Harris was holding her last major campaign event — and not far from the White House — Biden was asked what he thought of Hinchcliffe’s comedy bit at the Trump rally in New York.

U.S. President Joe Biden talks briefly with reporters as he departs the White House on October 24, 2024 in Washington, DC. With less than two weeks until Election Day, Biden told reporters that he is going to the battleground state of Arizona to formally apologize to Native Americans for the country’s role in the Indian boarding school system. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

BIDEN CALLS TRUMP SUPPORTERS ‘GARBAGE’ DURING HARRIS CAMPAIGN EVENT AS VP PROMISES UNITY AT ELLIPSE RALLY

“The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” Biden said on Tuesday. “[Trump’s] demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it is un-American.”

“Garbage” and “supporters” are the two words everyone latched onto after it was said. And it’s kept the Harris campaign to no words, just six days before the 2024 presidential election.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for comment.

Furthermore, none of the top Democrats have openly spoken about Biden’s comments. Those who were openly defiant against Trump after Hinchcliffe’s comment at the rally have been mum since Biden made his remark.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tells MSNBC that Donald Trump’s MSG rally was a “hate rally.” (Screenshot/MSNBC)

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Many top Republicans who are seeking reelection — like Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Florida Sen. Rick Scott — have also been quiet since Biden called many of their voters “garbage.”

Based on the 74.2 million votes that Trump received in the 2020 election, according to the Federal Elections Commission, the sitting president called nearly half of the country’s voters “garbage.”

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Early in-person voting kicked off in Oklahoma on Tuesday as the 2024 election is now in full swing.

Here is everything you need to know to cast your ballot in Oklahoma.

How to vote in Oklahoma

This is a guide to registration and early voting. For comprehensive and up-to-date information on voter eligibility, processes and deadlines, please go to Vote.gov and the election website for Oklahoma.

Election judge Miriam Dubinsky sanitizes a voting booth.

Voting by mail

Oklahoma began absentee voting earlier this month. Residents were required to request a mail-in ballot by Oct. 21. That ballot must be delivered to state officials by Election Day.

TIM WALZ’S SELECTION AS HARRIS RUNNING MATE DRAWS SKEPTICISM, EVEN AMONG ANTI-TRUMP FIGURES

More Fox News Power Rankings House shifts.

Early in-person voting

Oklahoma began early in-person voting on Wednesday, and it will continue through Nov. 2.

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Voter registration

The deadline for registering to vote in Oklahoma was Oct. 11.

Former President Donald Trump has twice responded to President Joe Biden’s “garbage” remark made about Trump supporters, with the latest coming just before midnight.

Biden was asked during a Kamala Harris virtual campaign rally on Tuesday about a remark made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe during a trump rally Sunday when the comedian called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.”

The president said, “The only garbage I see floating out there is [Trump] supporters.”

BIDEN CALLS TRUMP SUPPORTERS ‘GARBAGE’ DURING HARRIS CAMPAIGN EVENT AS VP PROMISES UNITY AT ELLIPSE RALLY

Former President Donald Trump (left) and current President Joe Biden (right). (Getty Images)

Based on the 74.2 million votes that Trump received in the 2020 election, according to the Federal Elections Commission, the sitting president called nearly half of the country’s voters “garbage.”

Trump didn’t hesitate to tweet a response.

“While I am running a campaign of positive solutions to save America, Kamala Harris is running a campaign of hate,” Trump wrote. “Now, on top of everything, Joe Biden calls our supporters “garbage.” You can’t lead America if you don’t love the American People. Kamala Harris and Joe Biden have shown they are both unfit to be President of the United States.

LIVE UPDATES: BIDEN ATTEMPTS TO DENY CALLING TRUMP SUPPORTERS ‘GARBAGE’ DESPITE VIDEO

Former President Trump on Fox News host Sean Hannity’s show on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024.

“I am proud to lead the biggest, broadest, and most important political coalition in American history. We are welcoming historic numbers of Latinos, African Americans, Asian Americans, and citizens of every race, religion, color, and creed. It is my desire to be the President of all the people.”

Trump first heard of Biden’s “garbage” verbiage while standing on a stage during a rally with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who reportedly alerted Trump of the president’s allegation.

TRUMP CALLS FOR SUPPORTERS TO ‘FORGIVE’ BIDEN IN SHOW OF UNITY AFTER PRESIDENT CALLS SUPPORTERS ‘GARBAGE’

“Wow. That’s terrible,” Trump said, before recalling Hillary Clinton’s infamous “deplorable” remarks just weeks before the 2016 election. “And then she said irredeemable. That didn’t work out.”

“Garbage, I think, is worse,” Trump said. “But he doesn’t know. You have to please forgive him.”

Biden’s remark came while Harris had her last major campaign event — which was near the White House.

President Biden referred to Trump supporters as “garbage” during a  virtual Harris campaign call. (Screenshot/CNN)

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The White House tried walking back Biden’s statement by releasing this:

“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 tweeted. “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.”

Early voting has begun around the nation, and Election Day is Nov. 5.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

I agree with Jeff Bezos on one thing: Nobody trusts the media anymore.

But killing the Washington Post’s Kamala Harris endorsement days before the election was a colossal blunder, a giant stink bomb tossed into the campaign. And the damage just keeps escalating.

LIBERAL PAPER’S NEWSROOM IN UPROAR OVER OWNER BEZOS’ ‘TONE-DEAF’ OP-ED, STAFFER SAYS

One-third of his editorial board, including some prominent journalists, have resigned from those positions. NPR says 250,000 people have canceled their subscriptions, 10 percent of its 2.5 million paid subscribers. He couldn’t have wounded the Post’s reputation more if he had set the Washington headquarters afire. Nice work, sir.

Sure, national newspaper endorsements don’t matter much these days. If Bezos had announced the no-endorsement policy six months ago, nobody would have cared.

((Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage) ERIC BARADAT/AFP via Getty Images)

And in his first defense, an opinion column posted on the paper’s website, the billionaire admits as much. 

“I wish we had made the change earlier than we did, in a moment further from the election and the emotions around it,” he writes, chalking it up to “inadequate planning” on his part. I’ve been saying this for days. Not having enough Amazon van drivers is inadequate planning. This was a fiasco.

RACIST TALK AT RALLY MARS TRUMP’S MESSAGE, BUT HE SCORES ON JOE ROGAN PODCAST

The reason he did this is clear to me: fear of Donald Trump. The two men have had a testy relationship. Bezos figures Trump has a good shot at winning and history of bearing grudges, even labeling opponents “the enemy within,” a phrase he defended in his Trump Tower interview with me. 

Why antagonize the guy further? Killing the Harris endorsement is a win for Trump.

Amazon and the Blue Origin rocket company do a lot of business with the federal government. Bezos even sued the Trump administration for denying a contract he felt he should have had. So this is sort of a peace offering.

Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. (Photo illustration)

But at what price? The surge in subscription cancelations reflect a deep feeling among readers that the paper betrayed them. It’s very hard to earn that back. Former Post editor Marty Baron, who covered the Trump administration, has accused his old paper of “spinelessness” and was on TV yesterday, saying such actions destroy trust. Top columnists are taking on the boss in published pieces, which the newsroom, to its credit, has also covered aggressively.

It’s a similar situation at the Los Angeles Times, where biotech mogul Patrick Soon-Shiong killed a Harris editorial and adopted a no-endorsement stance. Three top opinion editors quit the paper outright. In that case, his daughter was involved and spoke of the U.S. backing “genocide,” meaning in Gaza. USA Today has now jumped on the no-endorsement bandwagon.

But there’s far more interest in the Post, where I worked for three decades, because of the Bezos factor and its inside-the-Beltway status. Even Woodward and Bernstein have spoken out against the move.

MAYOR ADAMS SCOLDS MEDIA FOR ASKING ABOUT HEINOUS TRUMP COMPARISONS

Bezos and his billions actually deserve credit for saving the Post since buying it 11 years ago. He poured money into his new acquisition, trying to improve its digital side, and didn’t meddle with the newsroom.

I don’t care if these and other papers endorse or not. As the owner, Bezos has the right to set editorial policy. It’s just the bungling that has caused this incredible backlash.

Look, for the past two years, the Post’s left-leaning editorial pages have told us what they think on every issue under the sun, mostly with anti-Trump attacks. Then, with the election approaching, the owner has a fainting spell and says oh no, we couldn’t possibly tell you what we think about this – the most important decision a newspaper has to make every year, short of opining on war and peace. Heavens, no.

Former President Donald Trump, the GOP presidential nominee, speaks at a rally at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, on Oct. 27, 2024 (AP )

Bezos had no problem with the Post endorsing Democrats in 2016 and 2020. Only now does he pull the plug on that. And if backing a White House contender is such an outrage, why does the paper continue to make endorsements in state and local races?

There’s one other thing on which I agree with Bezos. While newspaper editorial pages are focused on racial and gender diversity, they lack ideological diversity. Bezos wants more conservative voices. That’s why he brought in Will Lewis, a Brit who previously worked at the Wall Street Journal.

But when Lewis was under scrutiny in the old British hacking scandal, he clashed with then-Post editor Sally Buzbee, who said of course we have to cover that controversy. She soon resigned rather than accept a demotion.

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Intentionally or otherwise, Bezos has set the Post back 10 years. What I mean is that a decade from now, people will still be talking about this.

But all these subscription cancellations are hurting the paper that they profess to care about, undermining the journalists who work there, especially since the staff was decimated by a recent round of layoffs and buyouts. What many are saying is that if your beef is with Bezos, why not cancel Amazon Prime instead?

President Joe Biden threw what appeared to be a final shot across the bow of the Trump campaign just one week before the election, referring to Trump voters as “garbage.”

It’s similar to right before the 2016 election when Hillary Clinton called Trump supporters “deplorables.” 

Just like eight years ago, Republicans have once again circled the wagons and are using the “garbage” verbiage to offset Vice President Kamala Harris’ bid to become president.

BIDEN CALLS TRUMP SUPPORTERS ‘GARBAGE’ DURING HARRIS CAMPAIGN EVENT AS VP PROMISES UNITY AT ELLIPSE RALLY

Trump and Biden (Getty Images)

Here’s what happened. During a virtual Harris campaign call with Voto Latino, one of the largest Latino voter and civic outreach organizations in the U.S., Biden was asked about comedian Tony Hinchcliffe who, during a Trump rally on Sunday at Madison Square Garden, called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.”

“The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” Biden said of Trump on Tuesday. “[Trump’s] demonization of Latinos is unconscionable and it is un-American.”

Republicans came out in droves to condemn the president’s remarks.

“Add this to the “basket of deplorables” and “nazi” slurs against Americans. Why to so many Democrat leaders hate so many of our fellow Americans?” Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt said.

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) waves as he sits with Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump during a Fox News town hall at the Greenville Convention Center on February 20, 2024 in Greenville, South Carolina (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

“Garbage? What they say about us actually says more about them. What are we going to do about it? Get to WORK. Elect @realDonaldTrump. Elect Republicans. Call our friends and neighbors to VOTE!,” South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott said.

TRUMP CALLS FOR SUPPORTERS TO ‘FORGIVE’ BIDEN IN SHOW OF UNITY AFTER PRESIDENT CALLS SUPPORTERS ‘GARBAGE’

“As a Republican member of Congress, I’ve met with many of my constituents who are Democrats, Libertarians, NPA, and Independents. I would NEVER call them garbage. What are you doing @POTUS?” Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna tweeted.

“Holy s***. The media spent all week crying about a joke from a comedian. Meanwhile, Tim Walz called Trump supporters Nazis. Kamala Harris refused to condemn it. And now Kamala’s biggest Democrat ally, Joe Biden, is calling all Trump supporters “garbage.” Absolutely disgusting!!!” Donald Trump Jr. wrote.

“Tonight, the sitting Democratic President of the United States just called Trump supporters “garbage.” After two failed assassination attempts against Trump followed by the DNC state run media lecturing republicans to “tone down the rhetoric,”” Texas Rep. Wesley Hunt said.

Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, speaks at a campaign event at The Pennsylvanian in Pittsburgh, Pa., Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024.  (AP Photo/Rebecca Droke)

“A mother mourning her son who died of a fentanyl overdose is not garbage. A truck driver who can’t afford rising diesel prices is not garbage. A father who wants to afford groceries is not garbage. Kamala Harris and Joe Biden ought to be ashamed of themselves,” wrote vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance.

LIVE UPDATES: BIDEN ATTEMPTS TO DENY CALLING TRUMP SUPPORTERS ‘GARBAGE’ DESPITE VIDEO

“Obama called us clingers.

Hillary called us deplorables.

Kamala calls us fascists.

And Biden just called us garbage.

They don’t respect us & don’t want unity.

But we do.

We want to Make America Great Again.

Our coalition is for ALL AMERICANS,” Florida Rep. Byron Donalds tweeted.

The Harris campaign has yet to respond to Biden’s “garbage” remarks.

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) speaks prior to Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump taking the stage at a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden on October 27, 2024 in New York City. Trump closed out his weekend of campaigning in NYC with a guest list of speakers that includes his running mate Republican vice presidential nominee, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), Tesla CEO Elon Musk, UFC CEO Dana White, and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), among others, nine days before Election Day.   ((Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images))

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Just before the presidential election in 2016, then Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton referred to Trump supporters as a “basket of deplorables.” Though she was leading at the time, Trump eventually won the election.

Early voting has begun around the nation, and Election Day is Nov. 5.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

The White House attempted to walk back President Biden’s comments after the president unleashed a firestorm after calling Trump supporters “garbage.”

During a virtual Vice President Kamla Harris campaign call with Voto Latino, Biden took a swipe at former President Trump’s rally in Madison Square Garden, which made headlines after insult comedian Tony Hinchiffe made jokes mocking different ethnic groups, with one joke referring to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.”

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

His remarks were quickly likened to Hillary Clinton’s labeling of half of Trump supporters as belonging in “a basket of deplorables” in 2016, a comment that was widely seen as undermining her campaign.

TRUMP CALLS FOR SUPPORTS TO ‘FORGIVE’ BIDEN IN SHOW OF UNITY AFTER PRESIDENT CALLS SUPPORTERS ‘GARBAGE’

Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at The PPL Center on October 29, 2024, in Allentown, Pennsylvania.  (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images))

White House spokesperson Andrew Bates told Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich that President Biden “referred to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as ‘garbage.’”

“The president was referencing a joke by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe in which he likened Puerto Rico to an island of floating ‘garbage’ in the middle of the ocean,” he said.

BIDEN CALLS TRUMP SUPPORTERS ‘GARBAGE’ DURING HARRIS CAMPAIGN EVENT AS VP PROMISES UNITY AT ELLIPSE RALLY

The White House earlier told NBC News that the president was referring to Hinchcliffe.

WATCH:

Later, Biden tried to further clarify his comments, saying that he was denouncing Hinchicliffe’s comments – not Trump supporters.

“Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporters at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage—which is the only word I can think of to describe it,” Biden wrote in a post on X. “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.”

Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at The PPL Center on October 29, 2024 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. With one week until Election Day, Trump is campaigning for re-election in the battleground state of Pennsylvania. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Speaking at a campaign event with Trump on Tuesday in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) picked up Biden’s remark as “breaking news” and told Trump supporters that Biden had marginalized a huge number of everyday Americans as “garbage.”

Trump Campaign National Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement that Biden and Harris “despise the tens of millions” who support him.

LIVE UPDATES: BIDEN ATTEMPTS TO DENY CALLING TRUMP SUPPORTERS ‘GARBAGE’ DESPITE VIDEO

“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,” she wrote in a release. 

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro looks on as U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks following a briefing on Interstate-95 highway emergency repair and reconstruction efforts, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 17, 2023.  (Julia Nikhinson / AFP) (Photo by JULIA NIKHINSON/AFP via Getty Images)

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Backlash from the comments came from both sides of the aisle, with Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro condemning Biden’s remarks.

“I’m giving you my fresh reaction to it,” he told Fox News Radio Political Analyst Josh Kraushaar on Tuesday. “I would never insult the good people of Pennsylvania or any Americans even if they chose to support a candidate that I didn’t support.”

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Fox News Digital’s Joseph Wulfsohn contributed to this report.

President Trump called on a crowd of supporters to “forgive” President Biden after he compared the former president’s supporters to garbage.

“Wow. That’s terrible,” Trump said, invoking Hillary Clinton’s infamous “deplorable” remarks in the weeks before the 2016 election. “And then she said irredeemable. That didn’t work out.”

The Republican nominee called on his supporters to forgive him during a packed rally at the PPL Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

“Garbage, I think, is worse,” he said. “But he doesn’t know. You have to please forgive him.”

BIDEN CALLS TRUMP SUPPORTERS ‘GARBAGE’ DURING HARRIS CAMPAIGN EVENT AS VP PROMISES UNITY AT ELLIPSE RALLY

Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at The PPL Center on October 29, 2024 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Trump said that Biden “really doesn’t know” what he said.

JON STEWART ADMITS HE FINDS WIDELY CRITICIZED TRUMP RALLY COMEDIAN FUNNY

Please forgive him for not knowing what he said…

— Former President Donald Trump

“Please forgive him for not knowing what he said,” Trump said. “These people are terrible, terrible, terrible to say a thing like that. But he really doesn’t know. He really honestly, he doesn’t. And I’m convinced that he likes me more than he likes Kamala. But that’s a terrible thing.”

WATCH:

Trump’s call for unity – and forgiveness – came after the president called Trump supporters’ garbage during a get-out-the-vote call for Voto Latino.

“The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” Biden said. “His, his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable and it’s un-American. It’s totally contrary to everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been.”

LIVE UPDATES: BIDEN ATTEMPTS TO DENY CALLING TRUMP SUPPORTERS ‘GARBAGE’ DESPITE VIDEO

Biden’s comments came after Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.

“And just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico ‘a floating island of garbage.’ Well, let me tell you something,” Biden said. “I don’t know the Puerto Rican that I know… or Puerto Rico where I’m – in my home state of Delaware – they’re good, decent, honorable people.”

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event at the Ellipse near the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Biden’s remarks came just as Vice President Kamala Harris was set to take the stage for a major rally in Washington, DC.

“Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporters at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage—which is the only word I can think of to describe it,” Biden posted on X later that evening after his comments drew swift backlash. 

“His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That’s all I meant to say,” he said. “The comments at that rally don’t reflect who we are as a nation.”

President Joe Biden speaks with reporters after casting his early-voting ballot for the 2024 general elections, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, at a polling station in New Castle, Delaware. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

White House spokesperson Andrew Bates told Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich that President Biden “referred to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as ‘garbage.’”

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“The president was referencing a joke by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe in which he likened Puerto Rico to an island of floating “garbage” in the middle of the ocean,” Bates said.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office mistakenly posted a spreadsheet to its website with a hidden tab that included voting system passwords on Wednesday.

The Colorado Department of State issued a statement and acknowledged it was aware of the situation.

“The Colorado Department of State is aware that a spreadsheet located on the Department’s website improperly included a hidden tab including partial passwords to certain components of Colorado voting systems. This does not pose an immediate security threat to Colorado’s elections, nor will it impact how ballots are counted,” the statement read. 

The Colorado Secretary of State spokesperson told FOX31 that the partial passwords leaked do “not pose an immediate threat to Colorado’s elections, nor will it impact how ballots are counted.”

EARLY IN-PERSON VOTING BEGINS IN DC, COLORADO

Pastor Bradley said some key messages of hope in the Bible can be applied to the various feelings surrounding the election.  (iStock)

The state office said that Colorado elections include many layers of security and include two unique passwords for every election equipment component, which are kept in separate places and held by different parties. 

“It goes without saying how significant this is,” the Colorado GOP wrote to the Secretary of State’s Office. “We can only imagine that, since the discovery last week, you and your staff have been working tirelessly to remedy these vulnerabilities.”

The state office added that passwords can only be used with physical in-person access to a voting system. 

“Under Colorado law, voting equipment must be stored in secure rooms that require a secure ID badge to access. That ID badge creates an access log that tracks who enters a secure area and when,” the state office said.

According to the state office, there is also 24/7 video camera recording on all election equipment. 

MILLIONS OF VOTERS HAVE ALREADY CAST BALLOTS FOR NOV. 5 ELECTION

Election officials work at the Webb Building Voter Service and Polling Center at Denver Elections Division in Denver, Colorado on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

“Clerks are required to maintain restricted access to secure ballot areas, and may only share access information with background-checked individuals. No person may be present in a secure area unless they are authorized to do so or are supervised by an authorized and background-checked employee,” the office explained.

The state office added that there is also a strict chain of custody requirements that track when a voting systems component has been accessed and by whom, stating it is a felony to access voting equipment without authorization.

Every Colorado voter votes on a paper ballot, which is then audited during the Risk Limiting Audit to verify that ballots were counted according to voter intent, the state office said. 

NEWS ANCHOR DROPPED AFTER SOCIAL MEDIA POST TELLING TRUMP-HATERS SUPPORTING HARRIS: ‘STAY HOME, DON’T VOTE’

A man walks out of the Board of Elections Loop Super Site after casting his ballot in the 2024 presidential election on the second day of early voting in Chicago, Illinois, on October 4, 2024. (Photo by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / AFP) (Photo by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images) (KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Colorado Republican Party Chairman Dave Williams called the possible exposure of the election system’s passwords “shocking.”

“We hear all the time in Colorado from Secretary Griswold and Governor Polis that we represent the ‘Gold Standard’ for election integrity, a model for the nation,” Dave Williams, Chairman of the Republican Party of Colorado said in a statement to FOX31. “One can only hope that by the Secretary of State posting our most sensitive passwords online to the world dispels that myth.”

The Colorado Republicans also asked for confirmation or a plan regarding how the “exposed systems” will or still meet the certification requirements of a “trusted build,” noting that a breach by a party with BIOS access may be difficult or impossible to identify.

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“The Department took immediate action as soon as it was aware of this, and informed the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which closely monitors and protects the county’s essential security infrastructure. The Department is working to remedy this situation where necessary,” the state office said. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Colorado Secretary of State and Colorado GOP for comment but did not immediately receive a response. 

An incumbent Republican congressman from New York now holds a surprising lead over his progressive opponent, according to a new poll. 

The poll, which was conducted by PIX11, The Hill and Emerson College, found that Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., holds a 49%-44% lead over former Democratic U.S. Rep. Mondaire Jones. The two are running in New York’s 17th congressional district, and the poll comes a week before the Nov. 5 election.

The survey, which was published on Tuesday, was conducted Oct. 24 through Oct. 26 and has a margin of error of +/- 4.4 percentage points. According to Emerson College, the data was collected via cell phone surveys.

Lawler gained a four-point increase in support, based on an earlier poll conducted by Emerson College. The other survey, conducted Oct. 1 to Oct. 3, found that Lawler had 45% of voters’ support and put Jones at 44%.

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Rep. Mike Lawler’s race against former Rep. Mondaire Jones is expected to be one of the closest in the country. (Getty Images)

The poll also found that 52% of voters have a favorable view of Lawler, compared to 44% of voters having a favorable view of Jones.

The district still leans blue in presidential election polls, and the survey found that half of voters support President Kamala Harris and 47% support former President Donald Trump.

“The top issue for voters in the 17th district is the economy, at 30%, followed by immigration (20%), housing affordability (15%), crime (11%), and threats to democracy (10%),” the findings read.

“Half (50%) of voters in the 17th district say they are worse off financially today than a year ago, while 32% say they are doing about the same, and 18% are better off.”

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UNITED STATES – JUNE 4: Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., talks with reporters after a meeting of the House Republican Conference in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, June 4, 2024.  (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said that the recent findings highlight a significant gender divide between voters.

“There is a stark gender divide in the 17th district, with men breaking for Lawler by 27 points, and women breaking by 16 for Jones, while men are more divided in the 18th district: 47% support Esposito and 46% support Ryan,” Kimball explained. “Women break for Ryan by 20 points.”

Earlier this month, Lawler was accused of dressing in blackface when photos of him dressed as Michael Jackson in October 2006 emerged. Lawler, a student at the time, said that his costume was intended to be complimentary and apologized for causing offense.

Former Rep. Mondaire Jones is now polling lower than his opponent. (Getty Images)

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Fox News Digital reached out to the Lawler and Jones campaigns for comments.

One of Puerto Rico’s two “shadow senators” endorsed former President Trump only days after comic “Kill Tony” Hinchcliffe delivered a widely-criticized set demeaning the island protectorate at the Republican’s New York City rally.

Shadow Sen. Zoraida Buxo, a Republican, said she was proud to be back in Allentown, Pennsylvania’s third-largest city, and the anchor of a key swing congressional district. Shadow Senators are elected officials who are not seated in the upper chamber, but are tasked with advocating for their territory and its statehood.

In a recent Fox News Digital interview, Allentown Democratic Mayor Matt Tuerk said that for the first time, the city – settled by English loyalist William Allen and historically Pennsylvania Dutch – is Latino-majority. Only Hazleton and Reading reportedly have a higher proportion as of 2022. 

Allentown’s population is estimated at 126,000, and about one-quarter is Puerto Rican.

JON STEWART DEFENDS COMEDIAN WHO JOKED ABOUT PUERTO RICO AT TRUMP RALLY: ‘I FIND THAT GUY VERY FUNNY’

The city of Allentown, PA – the Commonwealth’s third largest – is seen from the Tilghman Street Bridge. (Charles Creitz)

Buxo nodded to that development in her speech, about two hours prior to Trump’s estimated speaking time. The president had been delayed leaving another event in Delaware County earlier in the day.

Buxo said she is reminded of her home island’s “steadfast conservative values of community, family, faith and deep love of country.”

“That is home. That is Puerto Rico,” she said.

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Without mentioning Hinchcliffe by name in her address, she appeared to reference the controversy, saying “we won’t get rattled, we won’t yield to ignorance [or] foolishness… we will remain focused on what is very important.”

“We all share a desire of change for the good,” she later added.

Buxo slammed the “failed policies” of the Biden-Harris administration, touching on border security, law enforcement and the economy.

Tony Hinchcliffe of “Kill Tony” speaks during a campaign rally for Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

She said there are nearly six million Puerto Ricans living stateside, and that about 500,000 reside in Pennsylvania.

“We Hispanics are part of the soul of this country. We have made a difference, and we will again make a difference in this coming election to bring about much-needed change,” she said.

“I urge you to watch out and stay focused on what is truly important when you go to cast your vote … We need change and Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are not the option to bring about the kind of change that you need and want.”

She closed her remarks with the endorsement:

“We need the leadership of Donald J. Trump as our Commander-in-Chief and Dave McCormick for a renewed leadership in the United States Senate,” she said.

THE LEFT TWISTS JOYFUL TRUMP RALLY! PLUS COMEDIAN TONY HINCHCLIFFE UNDER FIRE FOR JOKE

A Puerto Rican flag (AP Photo/Ricardo Arduengo)

“Pennsylvanians – Americans, all – a better future is in your hands – your vote is the most powerful tool you have to bring about change. And for Latinos: Dale a Trump la fuersa de ta voto (“Give Trump the force of your vote”).

“And for those reasons, I strongly and fully support and endorse Donald J. Trump to be our 47th president to Make America Great Again and to Make Puerto Rico Shine Again.”

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Meanwhile, outside the rally – held at the PPL Center hockey arena and entertainment venue home to the Flyers affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms — a billboard reportedly displayed the Washington Post’s headline following Trump’s Madison Square Garden Event.

Flipping between Spanish and English, according to the New York Times, the type read “Trump rally speakers lob racist insults, call Puerto Rico ‘island of garbage.”

Conversely, the prayer to kick off the event was recited by Roberto Albino, who called himself a “proud Puerto Rican” and complimented Trump.

Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz mocked former President Trump’s age during a Tuesday evening rally in Georgia.

Walz criticized Trump’s proposal to stop taxing Social Security checks while quipping that Trump himself would be eligible for the program, which is for Americans aged 62 and older.

“Now, Trump came out with a plan that if we execute his plan, Social Security will go broke in six years,” he said, referring to a recent analysis of the effect of Trump’s tax proposals on Social Security.

“Social Security might not be very important to a guy like that. If you’re a billionaire and your dad gave you $400 million – you pretty much squandered all that, but you can just limp along on $400 million…he doesn’t care. He doesn’t care that he gets a check.”

GEORGIA GOP CHAIR SHARES 2-PRONGED ELECTION STRATEGY AS TRUMP WORKS TO WIN BACK PEACH STATE

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz mocked former President Trump’s age during a Tuesday evening rally in Georgia (Getty Images)

The crowd whooped as Walz quipped, “Now he is nearly 80, so he does qualify for Social Security.”

“He does qualify, but he doesn’t give a damn. My mom cars who’s nearly 90. She uses her Social Security check,” Walz said. “[Democratic 2024 nominee Vice President Kamala Harris] and I will protect Social Security and Medicare and make it stronger.”

The former president’s age has been a favorite political cudgel for Harris allies since 81-year-old President Biden dropped out of the race.

The recent analysis from the Committee For a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), however, accused both Trump and Harris of a lack of sufficient answers on Social Security.

On her campaign website, Harris promised to “protect” Social Security “by making corporations and the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share in taxes,” though it does not elaborate much further.

GEORGIA DEMS CHAIR REVEALS MESSAGE TO UNDECIDED GOP VOTERS AS HARRIS WORKS TO BUILD BROAD BASE

Harris’ campaign website has few details about Social Security solvency plans (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

“Unfortunately, neither candidate has presented plans to fix Social Security’s finances despite the looming $16,500 cut facing a typical couple retiring just before insolvency,” the CRFB analysis said.

It did project, however, that Trump’s stated tax and tariff policies would advance the program’s expected solvency from fiscal year 2034 to FY 2031.

The former president has vowed to protect Social Security and Medicare during numerous public appearances on the campaign trail. He told supporters as recently as Monday evening at his own Georgia event, “I’m the one that’s going to make Social Security strong again.”

The evening rally was Walz’s last public stop in Georgia on Tuesday after multiple public events.

Both the Harris and Trump campaigns have poured enormous amounts of time and resources into the Peach State, which Biden won by less than 1% in 2020.

‘ILLEGAL, UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND VOID’: GEORGIA JUDGE STRIKES DOWN NEW ELECTION RULES AFTER LEGAL FIGHTS

Both campaigns have poured significant resources into Georgia (Megan Varner/ Washington Post)

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The Trump campaign’s Georgia spokesperson Morgan Ackley said of Walz’s day-long swing, “Since Kamala Harris said she wouldn’t have done anything different from Joe Biden, Tim Walz is campaigning for another four years of unmanaged illegal immigration, skyhigh prices, and war abroad.”

“Georgia voters know President Trump will fix what Kamala Harris broke and flock to the ballot box for his America First Agenda on November 5th,” Ackley said.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump campaign for comment on Walz’s specific remarks on Tuesday evening.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.