Donald Trump, dressed as a sanitation worker and at one point appearing in the cab of a garbage truck, tried to convince Wisconsin voters that Democrats believe those who vote for him are “garbage.”

The theater came in response to an apparent verbal blunder by Joe Biden the night before, which the president said was intended to condemn a comedian for his racist comments during a massive rally that Trump hosted this weekend at Madison Square Garden in New York City organized.

But Trump and his allies have seized on Biden’s words to argue that Democratic nominee Kamala Harris is being disingenuous in her promise to be a president for all Americans, even those who don’t vote for her. During a visit to the city of Green Bay, located in a Republican-leaning region of a swing state where polls show everyone must win, Trump made the point by eschewing his regular suit jacket and donning a reflective orange vest for a speech. to an arena full of his red-hatted supporters.

“I have to start by saying that 250 million Americans are not trash,” Trump said at the start of his nearly 90-minute speech. He did not specify how he arrived at the 250 million number, but it appears to be approximately the entire population of the United States minus those who voted for Biden in 2020.

“This week, Kamala compared her political opponents to the most evil mass murderers in history, and now, on a call for her campaign last night, crooked Joe Biden finally said what he and Kamala really think of our supporters. He called them trash. No way!”

Biden’s blunder, one of many he has made in his nearly four years in office, threatens to complicate Harris’ campaign after her bid to win over Latino voters was revived by comedian Tony’s comment Hinchcliffe said at Sunday’s rally at Madison Square Garden that the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico is “a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean.”

Puerto Rican stars Bad Bunny and Ricky Martin have since announced their support for Harris, and on Wednesday reggaeton singer Nicky Jam, who also has ties to the island, cited the comments in withdrawing his support for Trump.

Biden nevertheless appeared to give Republicans a new line of attack when he said during a Zoom call with a Latino voter organization Tuesday night: “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporter’s – his – his – his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it is un-American.” The president later made it clear he wanted to “criticize the hateful rhetoric” against Latinos at Madison Square Garden, but the Trump campaign insisted Biden was derogatory toward people who voted for the former president.

Harris played defense earlier on Wednesday, telling reporters: “I absolutely disagree with criticizing people based on who they voted for.” The vice president has prioritized reaching out to moderate Republicans and independents lately, campaigning alongside Republicans who broke with Trump.

But at the Green Bay rally, Trump’s second appearance of the day after a stop in North Carolina, Biden’s words were all anyone wanted to talk about.

‘I can assure you: we are not junk. How dare you say that,” said Brett Favre, the former quarterback of the Green Bay Packers NFL team, who received a huge round of applause when he showed up at the rally.

“When I look outside, I see police officers, teachers, nurses, grandparents, students. I see ordinary Americans making this country great.”

Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who has survived repeated attempts by Democrats to oust him and increase their numbers in the upper chamber of Congress, said: “He called you bullshit, but let’s face it, that’s Not the first time Democratic leaders told half of Americans what they thought about them.” He compared it to Hillary Clinton’s comment shortly before her defeat in the 2016 election that half of Trump supporters belonged in a “basket of deplorables.”

While he had condemned Biden earlier in the day for the garbage comments at a rally in North Carolina, Trump opted for something of a political stunt in Green Bay, stepping off his private plane wearing the orange vest and into the cab of a waiting garbage truck jumped. truck with the words ‘Trump’ written in blue letters on the side.

Later that evening, the 78-year-old told the arena that he was concerned about being able to climb the steep steps to the truck, and that if he fell it would be cushioned by “all the fake news” that was on waiting on the asphalt. “The first kick is like, up here, and I say, shit,” he told the crowd.

“So I had the adrenaline and I did it.”

But while answering questions while sitting in the cab of the truck, he refused to apologize for Hinchcliffe’s comments about Puerto Rico, instead repeating his claim that he did not know who the comedian was or how he was booked for Madison Square Garden.

“I don’t know anything about the comedian. I don’t know who he is. I’ve never seen him,” Trump said. “He’s a comedian, what can I tell you? I don’t know anything about him. I don’t know why he’s there.”