SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) 鈥 President Joe Biden returned to his birthplace in Pennsylvania, making a final campaign stop Saturday for Vice President Kamala Harris and again let loose 鈥 offering the kind of unfiltered political sentiments that have become fairly common in recent weeks.
Biden slammed Harris' rival, former Republican President , and his supporters on policy issues during a speech in Scranton, but then suggested that he'd hit back 鈥 literally 鈥 on faux 鈥渕acho guys.鈥
鈥淭here鈥檚 one more thing Trump and his Republican friends want to do. They want to have a giant tax cut for the wealthy,鈥 Biden told the local chapter of the carpenters union. Then, apparently referencing people backing Trump, he added, 鈥淣ow, I know some of you guys are tempted to think it鈥檚 macho guys.鈥
鈥淚 tell you what, man, when I was in Scranton, we used to have a little trouble going down the plot once in a while," Biden continued. 鈥淭hese are the kind of guys you鈥檇 like to smack in the ass.鈥
During a rally later Saturday night in North Carolina, Trump poked fun at Biden, asking the crowd, 鈥淚 don't even know, is he still around?鈥
Biden's comment in Scranton drew laughs from the crowd. But it was another moment of his veering off political script, something that's now happening frequently with the president 鈥 even though he has played a decidedly limited role in promoting Harris, making few campaign stops for .
Earlier this week, Biden sparked an uproar by responding to made by the comedian who referred to the U.S. island territory of Puerto Rico as a 鈥渇loating island of garbage.鈥
鈥淭he only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,鈥 Biden said in response.
White House press officials of Biden's remarks, drawing objections from federal workers who transcribe what the president says for posterity, according to two U.S. government officials and an internal email obtained by The Associated Press.
And the reference to 鈥済arbage鈥 followed Biden 鈥 during a recent stop at a campaign office in New Hampshire 鈥 , 鈥淲e鈥檝e got to lock him up鈥 before quickly amending his comments to note he meant that Democrats need to 鈥減olitically lock him up.鈥
Biden鈥檚 Saturday remarks come at a moment when gender issues and diverging partisan loyalties between men and women have emerged as a top feature of the campaign.
Trump has pushed masculine tropes in a bid to garner more male voters throughout his campaign. He鈥檚 supported a return to traditional gender roles and leaned into themes like 鈥 鈥 whether they 鈥渓ike it or not鈥 in the campaign鈥檚 closing days.
Harris has taken a far different approach, pledging to protect access to abortion and increase government spending to help families cover the costs of housing and childcare.
Though he spent decades as a senator from Delaware, Biden spent his early childhood in Scranton and Saturday's event was a homecoming for the sidelined president in several ways. He spoke at the same union hall he visited on Election Day in 2020
鈥淟et them know how important this election is,鈥 Biden told the crowd of about 200 enthusiastic supporters. When he noted, 鈥淚鈥檓 nothing special," one audience member shouted back, "Sure you are,鈥 sparking chants of 鈥淭hank you, Joe.鈥
The president exhorted attendees to vote 鈥渇or yourself and your families, people you grew up with, the people you come from.鈥
鈥淒on鈥檛 forget where you come from,鈥 Biden thundered to shouts and applause. 鈥淒on鈥檛 leave behind the people you grew up with.鈥
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Weissert reported from Washington.
