Political fortunes can change quickly, especially at the end of a contested election. One day, the candidate may be at the top of the pile; next, they are down in the dumps.
However, the last week of this election in particular has been—and there is no other way to put it—a real rollercoaster. (Whoah?)
Fresh from Donald Trump calling the US “the garbage can of the world,” last Friday, a speaker at his Sunday rally joked that Puerto Rico is a “floating island of trash.” Not only did superstars like Bad Bunny shout out their support for Kamala Harris in response, they explained exactly what compelled them to do so. But then on Tuesday, during a Zoom call with the advocacy group Voto Latino, President Joe Biden said, “The only garbage I see floating around is his supporters,” turning Trump’s PR problem into an opportunity. In true seesaw fashion, however, Trump’s attempt to extract gold from his opponent’s gaffe may have just lit a new dumpster fire.
After nearly a full day of Trump-friendly media venting outrage about Biden’s remarks, the candidate showed up at a rally in Wisconsin… He continued to wear a vest throughout the rally.
Perhaps it was intended to keep people talking about Biden’s insults, distract from the Puerto Rico joke – which Trump has tried to distance himself from without apology – and bring back ‘trash,’ the same way his supporters called themselves the Deplorables after Hillary. Clinton’s line of regrets during the 2016 election. The stunt was also kind of, uh, a playful re-use of the contrast between Trump’s usual suits and the uniform he wore during a recent photo op at McDonald’s, which got him a lot of media coverage.
But there’s a fine line between making fun of your image and sticking your campaign logo on a working garbage truck. Trump just launched a mountain of garbage on that line.
While some of his most ardent fans were seen riding in the truck, it was widely mocked online. Unlike the McDonald’s gambit, which was also memorable, this one went beyond mild condescension and even self-deprecation, to the point of mockery. Whatever the context, comparing the Trump campaign to a garbage truck and its contents did not effectively punish Harris in any way; it did his job.
Biden had Trump dress up as a garbage truck driver, then drive around "Trump MAGA" a garbage truck with a sign.
Think about that lol. That’s epic level shit.– Anonymous (@YourAnonNews) October 31, 2024
As soon as he gets off the tarmac, someone drives him around. Why do I feel like this is going to be the defining meme of his entire campaign? pic.twitter.com/WrESaWJ6cN
— Hey, Dave! (@davegreenidge57) October 30, 2024
In addition to the garbage truck with Trump’s logo, social media users also received Trump’s appearance. Perhaps the color of his protective vest was too bright, it reflected wonderfully on his face. Or maybe she applied too much bronzer. Either way, TikTokers and X users quickly began describing her appearance as Oompa Loompa-esque.
Donald Trump played an Oompa Loompa AND a garbage truck operator pic.twitter.com/GnZhVsKb4s
— Kaiser@Celebitchy (@KaiseratCB) October 31, 2024
Okay, who did this? pic.twitter.com/Jm5ZxQ9MZi
— Alex Cole (@acnewssitics) October 31, 2024
Comedian Brent Terhune, whose TikToks about Trump have gone viral for years, quickly jumped into action. He donned a neon yellow trash vest—a color Trump might have chosen—and created a video commemorating the occasion. In his Southern drag book, he spoke as a proud driver of “Garbage Force One,” reflecting on his sacred mission.
A few million views later, Garbage Force One started trending on X.
He drove Trump’s garbage truck pic.twitter.com/IVR7PQPJLn
– Brent Terhune in Milwaukee 11.29-30 (@BrentTerhune) October 31, 2024
If the only controversy from the stunt was a series of jokes that tarnished the quality and flavor of Trump’s campaign, it may not have been entirely a mistake. To make matters worse, however, the candidate appears to be having some physical difficulty climbing up the stairs to get into the truck. As clips of his erratic steps began to circulate, jokes turned to questions about Trump’s possibly deteriorating health.
Trump can listen to jokes about his looks and his love of being seen. His critics have been making those since the beginning of his political career, and time after time, he has had the last laugh. But for someone who likes to be strong, any sign that seems weak will not be laughed at. This time, clips of Trump struggling to get into a garbage truck circulated so much that Thursday morning, Tim Walz was talking about how Trump “almost killed himself getting into a garbage truck” during Harris’ stump speech.
Biden’s trash gaffe probably wasn’t meant to have a long shelf life beyond the Fox News faithful—mainly because Harris has distanced himself from it, and has never said anything like it. Throughout her campaign, she diligently avoided disparaging Trump’s supporters, recalling the way Clinton’s Deplorables words turned so viciously. Last week, when Fox News host Brett Baier asked if he thought Trump supporters were “stupid” or “deluded,” he set out to attack Trump’s divisive rhetoric.
Now, Trump’s attempt to extend the rhetoric around Biden’s speech may have instead drawn the focus to it. Furthermore, Trump’s apparent glee at making a joke out of the incident makes it hard to believe that it actually offended him the way, say, people like Aubrey Plaza were offended by a Puerto Rican joke at a Trump rally.
Whatever benefit the ‘trash’ mark may have given him, is now gone.
