Trump's Odds Shift Amid Biden's Controversial Remarks On Supporters

A number of leading bookmakers have cut their odds on Donald Trump winning the 2024 presidential election over the past 24 hours. This shift in betting odds comes after President Joe Biden sparked controversy by seemingly referring to supporters of the former president as "garbage" during a Zoom call with the organization Voto Latino. The White House has since clarified that these comments were taken out of context, emphasizing that Biden was addressing specific comments made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe rather than Trump supporters as a whole.

On Tuesday, Trump's odds of victory were at 1/2 (66.7 percent) with major bookmakers like Bet365 and Paddy Power. However, by 4 a.m. ET on Wednesday, these odds had dropped to 10/21 (67.7 percent) and 4/9 (69.2 percent) respectively. During the same time frame, Trump's chances of defeating Kamala Harris also changed significantly, moving from 8/15 (65.2 percent) to 4/9 with Ladbrokes, and from 1/2 to 4/9 with both Betfair and Unibet.

On that Tuesday, Biden's comments were interpreted in various ways, leading to confusion about whether he was referring directly to Trump supporters or commenting on Hinchcliffe's remarks, who had described Puerto Rico as a "floating island of garbage" during a rally in New York. In response to Hinchcliffe, Biden appeared to say, "The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters…his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable and it’s un-American."

However, White House spokesperson Andrew Bates clarified to Newsweek that Biden was not targeting Trump supporters as a whole but rather the "hateful rhetoric" stemming from the rally at Madison Square Garden. A transcript of Biden's remarks provided by the White House supports this assertion, where he referenced a speaker at the rally calling Puerto Rico a "floating island of garbage." Biden emphasized, "The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters' -- his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American."

At a Trump rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Republican Senator Marco Rubio echoed the sentiments of many attendees, asserting, "Just moments ago, Joe Biden stated that our supporters are garbage." This statement led to a chorus of boos and jeers from the crowd, highlighting the deep-seated emotions surrounding the current political climate.

Newsweek reached out to representatives of the 2024 campaigns for Donald Trump and Kamala Harris for comments, but responses were not received by the time of publication. Recent polling data indicates that the 2024 presidential election remains highly competitive, with FiveThirtyEight reporting a narrow 1.4 point lead for Harris over Trump, at 48.1 percent to 46.7 percent. However, as of Wednesday, FiveThirtyEight favored Trump with a 52 percent chance of winning overall, compared to Harris' 48 percent.

The Electoral College system further complicates the electoral landscape, as it allows a candidate to win the popular vote while losing the presidency, a scenario that played out in 2016 with Hillary Rodham Clinton. The dynamics of the race continue to evolve, making each day critical as the election approaches.