Independ Fox News focus group of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents reacted in real time to President Biden’s recent comments, which appeared to refer to Trump supporters as "garbage." While Democratic viewers were largely supportive, Republican and Independent participants expressed strong disapproval.ents React Negatively to Biden’s “Garbage” Remarks

 Independents React Negatively to Biden’s “Garbage” Remarks

A Fox News focus group of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents reacted in real time to President Biden’s recent comments, which appeared to refer to Trump supporters as "garbage." While Democratic viewers were largely supportive, Republican and Independent participants expressed strong disapproval.

During a virtual Harris campaign call with Latino voters on Tuesday, Biden’s statements were tested in a live dial session, allowing participants to provide real-time feedback on his words. The reactions were represented by moving lines on a graph: red for Republicans, blue for Democrats, and yellow for Independents.

Democrats maintained a generally positive response throughout Biden's anti-Trump comments. However, the responses from Republicans and Independents dropped sharply into negative territory, especially during moments when Biden suggested that Trump “doesn’t care about the Latino community” and is a “failed businessman.” The lowest points in the Independent line appeared when Biden mentioned “the only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” with the line closely tracking Republicans’ reaction in disapproval.

While Republicans showed the most extreme negative reaction, Independents also dipped well below the neutral line for most of the clip.

Democrats, by contrast, displayed a steadily rising approval line, particularly during Biden’s “garbage” remarks.

The White House later issued a transcript, clarifying Biden’s comments as criticizing “hateful rhetoric,” with Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates stating Biden was referring to “rhetoric” and not directly to individuals.

Independents React Negatively to Biden’s “Garbage” Remarks in Real-Time Feedback

In a Fox News focus group measuring real-time reactions, Democrats, Republicans, and Independents responded distinctly to President Biden’s comments, which seemed to label Trump supporters as “garbage.” During the remarks, captured in a virtual Harris campaign call with Latino voters, Republicans and Independents reacted negatively, while Democrats registered consistent support.

The focus group used a live dial test allowing participants to gauge their reactions moment-to-moment. Reactions were displayed on a graph where a red line represented Republicans, a blue line represented Democrats, and a yellow line represented Independents. As Biden addressed issues around Trump’s stance on Latinos, the Republican and Independent lines both declined significantly below the neutral mark, reflecting strong disapproval.

The sharpest dip for Independents occurred when Biden stated, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters.” Here, the Independent response tracked closely with Republicans’, indicating a similarly negative impression. Even when Biden mentioned Trump’s desire to end birthright citizenship—a comment briefly lifting the Independent line slightly—the overall reaction from Independents remained largely unfavorable.

In contrast, the Democratic line stayed well above neutral, with participants seeming to support Biden’s words more as he continued. The “garbage” comment appeared to solidify positive reactions from Democrats, who saw Biden’s remarks as an assertive critique of Trump.

Following the focus group’s reactions, the White House released an official transcript of the speech, clarifying Biden’s words. According to the transcript, Biden referenced “the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally” as “garbage,” which Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates said was Biden's focus rather than targeting Trump’s individual supporters.