President Joe Biden’s latest stop on his farewell tour took an unexpected twist Tuesday, leaving him without his favourite ice cream flavour and prompting mixed reactions to his comments about a comedian’s jab at Puerto Rico.
During a visit to Baltimore, the 81-year-old president popped into a local ice cream shop, only to be told they’d run out of his go-to choice, chocolate chip. The shop owner, seemingly flustered, joked, “I would have made some if I knew you were coming!” With limited options, Biden settled for a scoop each of vanilla and chocolate.
The light-hearted pit stop quickly gave way to more serious business as Biden addressed the crowd at Baltimore’s harbour to announce more than $3 billion in funding for modernising U.S. ports. Among the beneficiaries of the new funding? Puerto Rico.
Yet the president’s message on infrastructure took a detour when he made an offhand comment about comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who recently mocked Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage” while warming up the crowd at a Donald Trump rally.
“I’d like to take that guy for a swim out there,” Biden quipped, seemingly referring to Hinchcliffe, before trailing off. His comments drew chuckles from some and criticism from others, with observers noting similarities to past instances when Biden made off-script jabs, like his 2016 remark about taking Trump “behind the gym.”
Some Democratic strategists saw the comment as an attempt to connect with Puerto Rican voters, particularly in swing states like Pennsylvania, where the Puerto Rican population is significant and could prove crucial in the election. Meanwhile, Trump has been seeking endorsements from Puerto Ricans and working to court Hispanic voters, following his gains among them in the 2020 election.
While Biden’s off-the-cuff remark made headlines, Trump has also reacted to Biden’s tough-guy comments earlier this year, dismissing them as empty threats. “It would happen very fast. It would be over very fast,” Trump reportedly quipped, suggesting Biden would be the one to go down.
The Baltimore stop came just one week before Election Day. Vice President Kamala Harris leads the Democratic ticket after Biden announced in July that he would not seek re-election. Harris, set to deliver a significant “closing argument” speech at a rally near the White House later today, hopes to shore up Democratic support in the final days.
In some ways, Biden’s end-of-term tour has mirrored the highs and lows of his presidency—balancing light moments with more severe outreach and taking on the occasional controversy. As the campaign draws to a close, it remains to be seen how much impact the final stretch will have on voters.
