President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming inauguration is shaping up to be just as headline-grabbing as his historic 2024 presidential campaign. From celebrity appearances ranging from Carrie Underwood to The Village People to an unexpected addition to his parade lineup, the president-elect’s team is ensuring that his return to the White House will be nothing short of memorable. One standout feature? A garbage truck.
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The vehicle — now a political statement — will be part of Trump’s inauguration parade. The truck became a thing after President Joe Biden’s now-infamous use of the word “garbage” during a campaign controversy. At a Trump rally in Oct 2024, in Madison Square Garden, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe stirred backlash by calling Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.” Biden later appeared to refer to Trump’s supporters as “garbage” in his response, though the White House clarified that he was specifically criticizing Hinchcliffe. “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” Biden said. President Biden later took to social media to clarify his comments. “Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage — which is the only word I can think of to describe it. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That’s all I meant to say. The comments at that rally don’t reflect who we are as a nation,” he tweeted.
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Alas, the damage had already been done and despite the clarification, the moment quickly went viral. One user responded to Biden’s post by tweeting: “YOU LIE! You called half of America garbage. Shameful!” which received over 3,000 likes.
From rally controversy to inauguration symbol
The day after President Joe Biden’s remarks, President-elect Donald Trump leaned into the controversy — literally — by donning an orange and neon yellow vest and hopping into a garbage truck at a campaign stop in Green Bay, Wisconsin. “How do you like my garbage truck? This truck is in honor of Kamala and Joe Biden,” Trump said as he sat in the passenger seat of the vehicle addressing members of the press to criticize Biden’s remarks (via CBS News). Now, that same garbage truck is making its way to Washington, D.C., as part of Trump’s inaugural parade.
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While Trump has a history of failing to hide his ego, Biden’s comments must have cut deep. Just before the election in November 2024, Trump took to Truth Social to double down on his response. “Despite all the damage she has caused, Kamala has spent the final week of her campaign comparing her political opponents to the most evil mass murderers in history. Then, Joe Biden called our supporters ‘GARBAGE,'” he posted. “My response to Joe and Kamala is simple: you can’t LEAD America if you don’t LOVE Americans. And you can’t be president if you hate the American People.”
That was just days before he won the election, but even months later, the president-elect just can’t seem to let it go, even on the heels of Biden’s farewell speech. Whether it’s a pointed response to Biden’s words or simply Trump’s way of keeping the conversation going, one thing is clear: his Inauguration Day spectacle won’t be lacking in symbolism.
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