WASHINGTON – Two congressional Democrats engaged in close races for 2024 criticized President Joe Biden on Wednesday for his “garbage” comment about supporters of Donald Trump.

Elissa Slotkin, running for Senate in Michigan, and Rep. Jared Golden, seeking re-election in Maine, both expressed their discontent with the president’s remarks.

“Regarding what President Biden said yesterday, it was inappropriate. I believe we need civil conversations in politics, not name-calling,” Slotkin shared with WWJ Newsradio, a radio station in Michigan.

Slotkin stressed that the people of Michigan desire constructive dialogues between Democrats and Republicans, rather than resorting to insults.

“I found those comments unnecessary, and they reflect why people are eager for this election cycle to end,” she added.

Rep. Jared Golden also voiced his disapproval on X, stating, “Any elected leader who labels Americans or America ‘garbage’ is fundamentally incorrect. We must avoid actions that intensify divisions among us.”

“As citizens, we share a bond that unites us,” Golden stressed in another tweet. “What we need most is collaboration towards our common objectives and overcoming shared challenges for the benefit of our communities and country.”

Golden’s large rural district includes central and northern Maine, and his race against Republican Austin Theriault, a former NASCAR driver, is viewed as competitive by the Cook Political Report.

Slotkin, who has served three terms in Congress, is competing against Republican Mike Rogers for a Senate seat vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow. Polls indicate that Slotkin has a narrow lead over Rogers.

Vice President Kamala Harris and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro have also distanced themselves from Biden’s comments as Election Day approaches on Nov. 5.

Biden’s controversial comments were made after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe described Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage” during Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. During a zoom call with a nonprofit, the president remarked that the only “garbage” he noticed “floating out there” were “his supporters,” creating confusion over whether he meant Hinchcliffe or Trump’s backers as a whole. Many Republicans interpreted it as a reference to all of Trump’s supporters.

Biden later clarified on X, saying he referred specifically to the hateful comments about Puerto Rico made by Trump’s supporter at the rally.

On CNN, Shapiro stated he would “never insult the wonderful people of Pennsylvania or any Americans, even if they support a candidate I disagree with.” Harris, in turn, expressed that, while the president clarified his remarks, she strongly opposes disparaging anyone based on their voting choices.