The operation reaches its peak: what the U.S. brings to the electoral finish line.

The United States, fully immersed in the 2024 presidential election campaign, is shaken at the finish line by a political scandal related to an inappropriate joke made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe. Recently, at a massive Trump rally in New York, while performing as a warm-up act before the candidate's appearance, the comedian made an unfortunate quip, referring to Puerto Rico as a "floating island of garbage." His remarks offended many, including numerous American celebrities. For instance, Puerto Rican stars Bad Bunny and Jennifer Lopez openly supported Kamala Harris in light of this incident. Meanwhile, Donald Trump quickly distanced himself from the comedian's controversial words, assuring that Tony Hinchcliffe has no affiliation with the party and that "he probably shouldn't have been" at that rally. Trump's team emphasized that the comedian's joke has nothing to do with the views of the former president, who has "great relationships" with Puerto Ricans.

However, the Republicans were unable to extinguish the scandal on the spot, as it continued to gain momentum. Accusations of Nazism were even directed at Donald Trump. Specifically, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reminded that in 1939, at the same location in New York where the Trump rally took place, the largest Nazi demonstration occurred.

In turn, Kamala Harris's campaign team took advantage of the scandal and released a new political ad aimed at Spanish-speaking voters, intended to draw them to the side of the Democrat. The video concludes with words in Spanish: "We are not garbage, we are something more. On November 5, Trump will understand that what is garbage to some is treasure to others."

For the conservatives, the events at that moment seemed like a spectacular failure, primarily because for any candidate vying for the keys to the Oval Office, the Latino vote is extremely valuable. Especially in a critically important state for victory like Pennsylvania. According to the University of California, there are over half a million eligible Latino voters living there. Therefore, it is not surprising that both Democrats and Republicans actively conducted various campaign events in the state. Prior to the "garbage" scandal, a poll conducted among Latinos in late October by USA Today/Suffolk University showed Trump leading his competitor by 11 percentage points with 49% of the votes. However, experts believe that the incident could lead many voters to change their electoral preferences.

To help the Democrats solidify their success, Joe Biden decided to weigh in. The outgoing occupant of the Oval Office, during a teleconference with the liberal group Voto Latino, commented on the scandal at Trump's rally by calling Trump supporters "garbage." In a CBS News report, Mr. Biden's exact comment was: "The only garbage floating out there that I see is his (Trump's) supporters... The demonization of Latinos by him is shameless." According to the AP news agency, White House stenographers recorded the phrase this way. However, later in the transcript released by the U.S. President's Administration, an apostrophe appeared in the word "supporters" ("supporter’s"), which changed the meaning: "The only garbage floating out there that I see belongs to his supporter," referring to comedian Hinchcliffe and his rhetoric.

According to AP, the change was made after the White House press office "consulted with the president." "The president called the offensive rhetoric at the rally 'garbage,'" later assured White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates.

Regardless, Biden's comment proved to be quite untimely for Kamala Harris, forcing her for the first time during the campaign to distance herself from what her current boss had said. "I am strongly opposed to any criticism directed at people based on who they vote for," the vice president stated to reporters.

Meanwhile, as reported by Fox News, Republicans decided to bring a resolution condemning Joe Biden before Congress. They also began investigating potential violations by the administration of the Presidential Records Act, which prohibits changes to the transcripts of the president's direct speech. Donald Trump himself stated that "garbage is even worse than the worthless" (in 2016, his then-competitor Hillary Clinton referred to the Republican's supporters in a similar manner). "Saying such things is simply awful," Trump concluded, while actively "milking" this topic afterward. Recently, in the swing state of Wisconsin, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, the Republican climbed into the front seat of a garbage truck, which bore the slogan "Trump. Make America Great Again." Speaking to reporters from the window of the vehicle, Trump asked, "How do you like my garbage truck? It's in honor of Kamala and Joe Biden." His contribution was echoed by former President Donald Trump Jr., who celebrated Halloween in a homemade costume made from a garbage bag. Ordinary Republican supporters also actively shared similar photos of themselves and their pets on social media.

The Hill reports that due to Biden's comments, the Democrats "lost momentum" in the race. "Joe Biden's words distracted voters from Kamala Harris's speeches, which, instead of fighting her opponent, had to focus on crisis management. The Democratic Party is concerned that the scandal may negatively affect voters' sentiments in the crucial days and hours ahead," The Hill concludes. Meanwhile, domestic experts, modeling the post-election picture in the United States, remain divided in their assessments.

"Forecasting is a thankless task. When I'm asked – Trump or Harris, my answer will be philosophical-mathematical. The mathematical formula is simple: mobilization turnout, convincing 'independent voters,' and bringing the 'silent electorate' in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin to vote for oneself. That's essentially the 'key' to victory. It’s just that in 2016, Trump managed to articulate this recipe and win. But it's generally hard to enter the same river twice. However, it’s possible. Trump has invested too much effort into his third presidential campaign. Voters love stubborn and strong 'bulldogs'," notes political scientist Oleg Posternak.

Describing Ms. Harris as "plastic," "artificial," and lacking the magical magnetism that would attract additional electoral masses, the expert stated: "Plus, there's Biden's legacy, which stains the Democrats' prospects due to stomach motives. But, I repeat, Harris could smile on her luck, and a rational miracle might occur. That's how electoral mechanics work, where a voter's vote is like a part of their body. One gives it on election day with a certain conviction or interest." "Kamala, just like Trump, needs those 'silent voters' who rarely go to the polls and are very indifferent to political fuss. They are the secret weapon of both candidates, who will soon face the challenge of minimal advantage in 'purple states'," concludes Oleg Posternak.

Meanwhile, at the climax of the race in the U.S., the "heavy artillery" in the form of the candidates' spouses has entered the fray. In particular, Melania Trump made her first public appearance in several months, supporting her husband at a campaign rally in New York, and then agreed to an interview with Fox News. Meanwhile, Kamala Harris's husband Doug Emhoff came under fire from Trump's running mate JD Vance. The vice-presidential candidate called for an investigation into a man who allegedly slapped his mistress many years ago. It is worth noting that in the summer of 2024, Mrs. Harris's husband had to confirm tabloid reports that during his first marriage, he cheated on his wife with their children's nanny. The mistress ultimately became pregnant. His former wife, by the way, is now actively supporting Kamala Harris. Another scandal began a month ago when his former girlfriend anonymously told reporters that in 2012, Emhoff slapped her face during an argument. The second gentleman denies these accusations, but Republicans are actively promoting this case.

The Washington Post notes that during Kamala Harris's campaign, her husband has spoken to voters in 30 different locations across more than 12 states. His counterpart, Melania Trump, is behaving more cautiously. In a recent interview with Fox News, she explained this caution as a response to the assassination attempts on Trump himself. The rest of the conversation was filled with clichés: "There is still so much to do: to take care of the country and future generations, children are suffering; they need help and education. After the assassination attempt on my husband, I became more cautious; it has become much more dangerous. They constantly call him 'the second Hitler,' and that is terrible. His supporters just want to see a successful country. We see how much support he has. He could do nothing, but he loves his country, loves people, and wants to make America great again."

Paradoxically, some experts do not rule out that the former First Lady may ultimately prove to be a more effective campaigner than the super-active Doug Emhoff. The arguments are as follows: contrary to Trump's aggressive, offensive politics, Melania speaks calmly about the difficult lives of migrants and cites her own struggles with bureaucracy to remain in the U.S. A month ago, she released memoirs in which she supported women's right to abortion, although this is traditionally a Democratic position. By the way, Mrs. Trump could attract a significantly larger audience of Democrats, but, as they say, it just didn't work out. CNN recently reported that they approached Melania for an interview, but she requested $250,000 for the conversation. The journalists declined the offer. Well, Doug Emhoff, as we noted above, is performing much more actively, and his motivation is generally understandable: Trump's wife has already been First Lady, but no one in U.S. history has ever been First Gentleman.