Still, the controversy diverted attention from what was supposed to be a big night for Vice President Kamala Harris, who was about to give her big “closing argument” speech at the Ellipse in Washington – the place where Trump delivered his speech before his supporters attacked on January 6, 2021 at the US Capitol.

“It is time to leave the drama and the conflict, the fear and the division behind us. It is time for a new generation of leadership in America,” Harris said Tuesday evening. “And I’m ready to offer that leadership.”

Instead, attention turned to Biden, and Republicans used his comments to undermine the message of unity that Harris raised in her address.

Trump co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita responded to Biden's remark on X, writing that Harris “hates them and they correspondingly hate the American Spirit vote.”

Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, said on X: “This is disgusting. Kamala Harris and her boss Joe Biden are attacking half the country. There is no excuse for this. I hope the Americans reject it.”

A senior Trump campaign official said that when the campaign learned of the comment, it moved quickly to bring it to Trump, who was in the middle of his rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, was already scheduled to go on stage, so a campaign official gave him a note with the contents of Biden's remark. Rubio then read it to Trump.

“That's awful. That’s what it says,” Trump said.

Trump then brought up Hillary Clinton's comments during the 2016 presidential campaign, when she said “half” of Trump's supporters fit into a “basket of deplorables” – comments that were widely believed to have hurt her in the election.

“I think trash is worse, right?” Trump said. “But he doesn’t know. You must please forgive him. Please forgive him because he doesn’t know what he said.”

Pennsylvania's Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro was presented with Biden's comments on CNN Tuesday evening. He said it was the first time he had heard her.

“I would never insult the good people of Pennsylvania or any American even if they chose to support a candidate I did not support,” he said in response.

“They are certainly not words I would choose,” he added. “I think it’s important that we continue to focus on the contrast between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump and not attack the supporters of either candidate.”

In an interview with Fox News this month, host Bret Baier asked Harris if she thought Trump supporters were “stupid.”

“Oh God. I would never say that about the American people,” she replied. “And in fact, if you listen to Donald Trump, if you watch any of his rallies, he is the one who tends to demean, belittle and belittle the American people. He is the one who is talking about an enemy within, an enemy within who is talking about the American people and suggesting that he would use the American military against the American people.”

The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Biden's comments Tuesday evening.

Democratic strategist Chris Kofinis said: “The final days of this race will be a sprint to the bottom of the rhetoric barrel.” Want to know why this race is close? It's as if both campaigns, not to mention their surrogates, are trying to find new and innovative ways to lose. Keyword headbutt.”