Multi-millionaire Vivek Ramaswamy, a pharmaceutical entrepreneur, demonstrated against President Joe Biden’s characterization of Donald Trump’s supporters as “garbage” by picking up trash alongside a garbage truck crew in Charlotte, North Carolina.
In a post on X, he stated, “We’re not garbage, we’re patriots recycling the American Dream,” sharing a photo of himself in action on November 1. He also announced his plans to attend a Trump campaign event in a garbage truck, indicating he wanted to clean up some “actual trash” first.
Ramaswamy, who initially ran for the Republican nomination before endorsing Trump, donned a yellow vest over a T-shirt featuring Oscar the Grouch, a beloved cartoon character from a garbage can. He quickly learned how to operate the truck’s compactor and joined in the cleanup efforts.
His protest was sparked by Biden’s comments criticizing Trump’s supporters, specifically referencing a joke made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe about Puerto Rico being “a floating island of garbage.” Biden described Trump’s followers as floating garbage and condemned Trump’s remarks about Latinos as un-American.
Trump himself wore a trash collector’s vest at a rally and has voiced similar sentiments. In an interview with the New York Post, Ramaswamy acknowledged that he and Trump arrived via private jets, but emphasized that economic status doesn’t determine equality among Americans. He believes that their perspective differs from that of the Democrats.
Biden’s remarks echoed Hillary Clinton’s infamous description of Trump’s supporters as “deplorables” during the 2016 campaign, which alienated many working-class voters. Vice President Kamala Harris, hesitant to criticize Biden, expressed her disagreement with any negative remarks about voters based on their political choices.