Galesburg Reporter

Illinois' 17th Congressional District candidate Joe McGraw highlighted comments from President Joe Biden in an October 29 Facebook post, stating, "These are the people that make up our community here in IL-17."

"President Biden just called half of Americans “garbage," said Judge Joe Mcgraw, according to Facebook. "This is how liberal elites in Washington like Biden & Eric Sorensen view working class Americans. These are the people that make up our community here in IL-17. These comments are disgusting and totally out of step."

According to McGraw's Facebook post, he shared a link to a Fox News article that focused on remarks made by President Biden during a campaign call with Voto Latino. This was in response to a joke calling Puerto Rico a "floating island of garbage" at a rally held by former President Donald Trump in Madison Square Garden. At the same time Vice President Kamala Harris was delivering a speech outside the White House, Biden said on the call with Voto Latino, "The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable and it is un-American."

Screenshot of Judge Joe McGraw's Oct. 30 Facebook post | Judge Joe McGraw's Facebook page

The Fox News article included various responses to Biden’s comments, such as one from Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance. "This is disgusting. Kamala Harris and her boss Joe Biden are attacking half of the country. There's no excuse for this. I hope Americans reject it," Vance said in an October 29 post on X, responding to another post from Gabe Gutierrez that shared Biden’s words.

Later, Biden attempted to clarify his statement on X. He wrote, "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."

McGraw, who has previously served as a prosecutor, private attorney, and retired Circuit Court judge, officially announced his candidacy for Illinois' 17th Congressional District in mid-October. He aims to challenge incumbent U.S. Representative Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.), who narrowly won in 2022. As reported by Pantagraph, McGraw's campaign emphasizes law-and-order principles and utilizes his extensive judicial experience to address issues related to urban crime and immigration. His policy positions include advocating for the construction of a border wall, endorsing comprehensive immigration reform, and supporting state regulation over federal intervention in abortion-related matters.