Elections 2024 live: Trump slams Biden for calling his ‘high quality’ supporters ‘garbage’
Kamala Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump both rallied in North Carolina on Wednesday after Democrat delivered ‘closing argument’ speech and defends Joe Biden over latest gaffe
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With less than a week to go in the US presidential election race, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are making their final pitches to voters, with both appearing in battleground North Carolina on Wednesday.
The Democratic presidential nominee has been forced to respond to Joe Biden inadvertently whipping up a conservative media storm by seemingly calling Trump’s supporters “garbage” in response to comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s already-notorious Madison Square Garden joke about Puerto Rico.
Harris told reporters on Wednesday that she “strongly” disagrees with any criticism of the public based on their voting intentions.
Elsewhere, at a rally in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, Trump also addressed the president’s comments.
“Last night, Joe Biden finally said what he and Kamala really think of our supporters,” he said. “He called them garbage and they mean it... even though, without question, my supporters are far higher quality than Crooked Joe or Lyin’ Kamala.”
He added: “My response to Joe and Kamla is very simple: You can’t lead America if you don’t love Americans, you just can’t.”
On Tuesday, Harris delivered her “closing argument” in Washington DC, speaking on the very same spot from which Trump told his supporters to “fight like hell” on January 6, 2021.
Trump pounces as Biden accused of calling MAGA supporters ‘garbage’ in wake of racist joke — but did he say it?
Trump tries to brush off racist joke about Puerto Rico with series of far-fetched boasts
Harris campaign says 75,000 people at Ellipse speech – 22,000 more than Trump’s Jan 6 crowd at same spot
I was there when Trump dispatched his mob to the Capitol. Tonight, I saw Harris offer a stark warning from the same spot
Harris urges Americans to ‘turn the page’ on ‘divisive’ Trump as she delivers closing argument in DC
Trump says the US is ‘an occupied country'
In North Carolina, while discussing immigration, Donald Trump once again claimed that the US was “an occupied country” and that Election Day would mark the country’s “liberation.”
“But it will soon be an occupied country no longer - we will not let this happen,” he said.
“November 5, 2024 will be liberation day in America... on day one I will launch the largest deportation program in American history... I will rescue every city and town that has been invaded and conquered.”
Watch: Trump claims he will end inflation and immigration in six days
Trump jokes that, as a senior, his tax break would be a ‘conflict of interest'
Discussing his plan on taxation for older people, Donald Trump jokingly admitted he had a “conflict of interest.”
The former president, who is 78, told his supporters: “Our seniors they have a very fixed income some of them, I’m a senior too.”
“Some people would say he is a conflict of interest, these fakers back there [the media] [say] ‘he has a conflict of interest, he’s a senior, he’s gonna give himself a big tax break.’”
Picture: Trump holds rally in Rocky Mount, North Carolina
Trump notes major publications’ lack of endorsement
Donald Trump noted the lack of endorsement for the Democrats from major publications including The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times, offering his own reason for why that was.
“Have noticed that the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times are not endorsing anyone – you know what they’re really saying? Because they only endorse Democrats,” he said.
“They’re saying this Democrat is no good. And they think I’m doing a great job they just don’t want to say it.”
Trump also noted his recent endorsement from NASA hero Buzz Alrin, the second man on the moon, who he described as as “great astronaut.” “Isn’t that nice? So thankyou Buzz Aldrin... and I like him too, I’ve always admired him.”
Trump tells supporters that he is 'not Hitler’
At his rally in North Carolina, Trump once again reminded his supporters that he was “not Hitler.”
The former president came under fire following reports he had once made comments praising the German dictator. Comparisons were also drawn between his recent rally in New York’s Madison Square Garden, the site of a Nazi rally in 1939.
“They’ve called me Hitler,” Trump said. “Many years ago I had a father, he was a great guy, a strong guy... 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 responds to Biden calling his ‘high quality’ supporters ‘garbage'
Donald Trump addressed remarks made by Joe Biden in which the president appeared to refer to Trump supporters at “garbage.”
The former president said his fans were “far higher quality” than those of the Democrats.
“This week Kamala Harris has been comparing her political opponents to the evil mass murderers in history and now, on a call for her campaign last night, Joe Biden finally said what he and Kamala really think of our supporters,” he said.
“He called them garbage and they mean it... even though, without question, my supporters are far higher quality than Crooke Joe or Lyin Kamala.”
He added: “My response to Joe and Kamla is very simple: You can’t lead america if you don’t love Americans, you just cant. And you can’t be president if you hate the American people...
“They’ve treated you like garbage, the truth is they’ve treated our whole country like garbage whether they’ve meant to or not.”
Trump calls Harris ‘low-IQ individual’ but claims he is ‘very nice’ to her
Moments after Kamala Harris finished her remarks, Donald Trump began his own rally in North Carolina, in Rocky Mount.
The former president claimed that he was “very nice” to the Democrats, moments after referring to his Democratic rival as a “low-IQ individual.”
“I will bring back a thing called The American Dream, isn’t that nice? Because we hadn’t had that in a long time,” he said.
“Our country will be bigger, better, bolder, richer, safer, and strongner than ever before.”
He continued: “Kamala Harris, a low-IQ individual, is running a campaign of hate, anger and retribution. See I’m very nice to them, they’re not very nice to me.”
Harris’ plans were “the plans of a simpleton” he later added.
Trump later laughed when an audience member shouted that Harris was “an idiot” but joked “I didn’t say it... In fact, sir I’d like to admonish you that way the press can’t get me.”
In pictures: Harris arrives to campaign in Raleigh, North Carolina
Harris says will people who disagree with her a ‘seat at the table’
Kamala Harris told supporters in North Carolina that, unlike her Republican rival, she would work with those who have conflicting views.
“Unlike Donald Trump, I don’t believe that people who disagree with me are the enemy,” she said. “He wants to put them in jail. I’ll give them a seat at the table.”
She added: “We are here together because we love our country, and when you love something you fight for it.”
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