Kamala Harris said she disagrees “with any criticism of people based on who they vote for”, reacting after President Joe Biden’s reference to Donald Trump’s supporters and “garbage”.
“I will represent all Americans, including those who don’t vote for me,” the vice president said.
Ms Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, made the comment to reporters as she prepared to campaign in three states.
The tumult began on Tuesday night around the time that Ms Harris was delivering a unifying message in a speech near the White House.
Inside the building, Mr Biden was criticising Mr Trump’s recent Madison Square Garden rally, where a comedian described Puerto Rico as an “island of garbage”.
“The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters. His demonisation of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American,” Mr Biden said in a campaign call organised by the Hispanic advocacy group Voto Latino.
“It’s totally contrary to everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been.”
But Republicans seized on Mr Biden’s comments, claiming they were an echo of the time when Hillary Clinton, as the Democratic nominee against Mr Trump in 2016, said half of Mr Trump’s supporters belong to a “basket of deplorables”.
In attacking Mr Biden, and by extension, Ms Harris, Republicans are glossing over Mr Trump’s own history of insulting and demonising rhetoric, such as calling the United States a “garbage can for the world” or describing political opponents as “the enemy within”.
Mr Trump has also described Ms Harris as a “stupid person” and “lazy as hell”, and he has questioned whether she was on drugs.
Mr Trump has also refused demands to apologise for the comment about Puerto Rico at his rally, acknowledging “somebody said some bad things” but “I can’t imagine it’s a bid deal”.
Mr Vance’s three-year-old comments were resurfaced once he became the vice presidential nominee, energising Harris supporters who repurposed the label as a point of pride on shirts and bumper stickers — much like Mr Trump’s supporters once cheerfully branded themselves as “deplorables”.
On Wednesday morning, Ms Harris’ running mate Tim Walz downplayed Mr Biden’s comments in television interviews.
He told CBS Mornings that Mr Biden “was very clear that he’s speaking about the rhetoric we heard”, not the supporters themselves.
Mr Walz made a similar comment on ABC’s Good Morning America, where he emphasised the Democrats’ inclusive message.
“Let’s be very clear, the vice president and I have made it absolutely clear that we want everyone as a part of this,” he said.
“Donald Trump’s divisive rhetoric is what needs to end.”
