Memes ridiculing the gaffe spread swiftly across platforms. One popular meme showed Biden standing on the White House lawn, with the caption: “Biden on the White House lawn after calling all Trump supporters garbage during the biggest speech of Kamala’s entire career…” Another portrayed Trump in a white hat with the word “garbage” emblazoned on it, suggesting the moment might become a rallying cry for his base. In another, a user called for all Trump supporters to wear black trash bags to polling stations, turning Biden’s insult into a badge of honour.
Yet the creativity didn’t stop there. One meme paraphrased the song “The Sound of Silence” with the lines, “Hello garbage, my old friend, I’ve come to take you out again… because Biden is softly creeping, the Left is losing while Joe is sleeping.” Other memes poked at Vice President Kamala Harris, suggesting that Biden’s comment had sabotaged her unity message as she delivered a major speech on bridging political divides. One user even suggested that Biden knowingly sabotaged Kamala's campaign in exchange for a presidential pardon for his son Hunter, who recently pled guilty to nine federal tax charges, from Trump.
That’s how deals get done, Jack! https://t.co/DOoJINX0Zg pic.twitter.com/247IGhI7XV
— Prison Mitch (@MidnightMitch) October 30, 2024
The memes emerged in response to Biden’s attempt to call out a comedian at a Trump rally who had referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.” Reacting during a call with Latino voters, Biden responded, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” accusing Trump’s campaign of demonising Latinos. But his comments quickly drew ire from Republicans and triggered fierce debate. Trump, campaigning in Allentown, Pennsylvania, seized the opportunity to denounce Biden’s words as “terrible,” drawing comparisons to Clinton’s 2016 “deplorables” slip. “Hillary called them ‘deplorables,’ and then she said ‘irredeemable,’” Trump said. “‘Garbage’ I think is worse.”
Republican Senator JD Vance took to X (formerly Twitter), calling the remarks “disgusting,” while Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt argued the insult showed contempt for millions of Americans who support the former president. Amid the backlash, Biden tried to clarify on X, saying he’d meant to describe the “hateful rhetoric” as garbage, not Trump’s supporters. However, the apology did little to stem the internet’s mockery.
Here are some of the meme's shared by X users:
Biden on the White House lawn after calling all Trump supporters garbage during the biggest speech of Kamala’s entire career…pic.twitter.com/dkf6z23d0c
— Geiger Capital (@Geiger_Capital) October 30, 2024
Kamala finding out Biden called half of voters garbage a week from the election pic.twitter.com/fCZ1oiOSTM
— Mostly Peaceful Memes (@MostlyPeacefull) October 30, 2024
i knew i made a biden garbage meme at some point 😂
— drefanzor memes (@drefanzor) October 30, 2024
pic.twitter.com/JuOVMiuAqS
The real irony embedded in Joe Biden's #Garbage comment can be found in the outcomes produced by the Democratic Party whenever they're in power.
— Biff Gruffly (@BitingNews) October 30, 2024
In metaphorical terms, this is what the Democrats always deliver... pic.twitter.com/Gc3y86W7RW
Biden called all Trump supporters “garbage” tonight. Instead of getting mad, we focused our energy and turned actual garbage into a huge meme in the space of a few hours.
— David Fischer (@dDave247) October 30, 2024
Only conservatives can meme like this. It’s brutal. lol
I love every one of you.
Goodnight all 🫡🇺🇸#MAGA pic.twitter.com/e4JuZpeyCj
This is who joe biden refers to as garbage. pic.twitter.com/g12Je032Zt
— LogicTruth&Justice (@LogicTruthJstce) October 30, 2024
Biden calls us floating bags of garbage.
— SheilaG2024 (@SheilaG2024) October 30, 2024
We should all wear a black comtractors trash bag when we go vote! pic.twitter.com/kwpQMewTeG
Who else thinks Donald Trump should wear this hat in support of us being called garbage by Joe Biden? pic.twitter.com/W0MnzjTqIq
— Grok’s Based Memes (@groksmemes) October 30, 2024
Make Garbage American Again.
— Ändl Béquet (@AndlBequet) October 30, 2024
Meanwhile, @KamalaHarris's campaign: pic.twitter.com/HA2Uq1Karg
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