Joe Biden's "Garbage" Comment Sparks Voters to Show up in Trash Bags on Election Day

If you're braving the polls on Election Day, kudos to you! We know the wait can be quite draining, but remember, every minute is worth it when you're making your voice heard in the 2024 presidential election.

Now, there's no official dress code for voting — in fact, we've even spotted some people casting their ballots in pajamas! But for some reason, several voters are showing up in trash bags. Why is this happening? Here's what we've found.

As it turns out, many people are wearing trash bags to vote as a way to respond to recent comments made by current president Joe Biden. The controversy began after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made an offensive comment at Donald Trump's rally at Madison Square Garden, calling Puerto Rico a "floating island of garbage."

In response, Biden took aim at Trump supporters, essentially labeling them as "garbage."

"Just the other day, a speaker at [Trump's] rally called Puerto Rico 'a floating island of garbage.' Well, let me tell you something … The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters," Biden said during virtual remarks at a Voto Latino get-out-the-vote event, aimed at helping Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. "His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable and it’s un-American."

While Biden later suggested that he was specifically referring to Hinchcliffe, not all Trump supporters took it that way. Many felt insulted, while others decided to embrace the fresh label. In fact, thousands have since shown up to rallies and polling stations wearing literal garbage bags as a form of protest.

On Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, X (formerly Twitter) user @USAgoBrach revealed that they cast their vote "in a trash bag." They also noted that they received a few "seething glares from a few triggered poll workers."

Sophie Sassoon, a British woman who became a U.S. citizen specifically to vote for Trump, also made a statement at the polls by showing up dressed as a "chic garbage bag."