Harris Tries to Distance Herself and Move On From Biden’s ‘Garbage’ Remark

Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday tried to separate herself from President Biden after he made muddled remarks that appeared to call supporters of former President Donald J. Trump “garbage.”

“Let me be clear: I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for,” Ms. Harris told reporters as she prepared to board Air Force Two outside Washington, D.C., although she said Mr. Biden had “clarified his comments.”

Ms. Harris has been pressed to distance herself more broadly from Mr. Biden, an unpopular incumbent who is also her boss, putting her in a difficult position. Her campaign has resisted having them appear together on the trail. Mr. Biden is seen as an undisciplined communicator, and his comments on Tuesday undercut a speech Ms. Harris delivered that same night in which she made unity a major theme.

Her response on Wednesday — quickly pivoting to her campaign trail schedule and her plans for the economy — made it clear that she and her campaign would like to move on from Mr. Biden’s comments. The Trump campaign has made equally clear its intention to keep the remarks in the news cycle.

On Sunday, Tony Hinchcliffe, a comedian and Trump supporter who spoke at the Trump rally in New York, had made a joke onstage that disparaged Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.” Mr. Biden tried to denounce that racist language in a video call with Hispanic supporters on Tuesday night. But he garbled his words, saying: “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters — his, his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American.”

The White House and Mr. Biden later argued that he was describing the racist language as “garbage,” not Trump supporters.