The White House has come under fire for altering the official transcript of President Joe Biden’s remarks, where he appeared to criticize Donald Trump’s supporters as “rubbish.” The changes, made by White House press officials, raised concerns about federal stenographers documenting presidential remarks, according to U.S. government sources and an internal email obtained by The Associated Press.
During a video call with Latino activists earlier this week, Biden addressed comments from pro-Trump comedian Tony Hincliffe, who recently called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.” In the original transcript prepared by White House stenographers, Biden was quoted as saying, “The only garbage I see floating around is his supporters — his demonization of Latinos is unacceptable.” , and that’s un-American.”
However, the official White House transcript of the conversation changed Biden’s words, changing “supporters” to “supporters,” implying that Biden was only criticizing Hincliffe, rather than Trump’s broader voter base. were doing According to an internal email from the head of the Office of Stenographers, the change came after discussions between press officials and the president himself. The email, confirmed by two official sources, said the change was a “breach of protocol and a violation of the integrity of the transcript.”
The head of the stenography office cautioned in an email that any changes must follow official protocol, which allows the press office to withhold transcripts but not free edits. The email further stated that Altered copy Differs from the version recorded by stenographers distributed by the White House press team, which is usually preserved and protected by the National Archives.
The altered transcript came as media questioned Biden’s remarks, particularly as they appeared to contradict Vice President Kamala Harris’ simultaneous statement encouraging respectful dialogue across the political divide. Harris, speaking to a crowd outside the White House, emphasized the importance of unity and respect regardless of political beliefs, striking a very different tone from Biden’s remarks.
In response, the Trump campaign seized on Biden’s comment, using it as a fundraising opportunity and holding a photo shoot with Trump in a garbage truck. The next day, Harris distanced himself from Biden’s comments, saying, “I strongly disagree with any criticism of people who they vote for.”
As criticism mounted, Biden took to social media, clarifying that his “garbage” reference was intended as “hateful rhetoric” from Hinchcliffe, not Trump supporters In general, however, the White House press team instructed stenographers to expedite the release of the transcript but released it before any oversight review was completed, according to the email.
White House spokesman Andrew Bates defended the change, posting on social media that Biden was referring to “hateful rhetoric” at Trump’s rally, according to the redacted transcript.
House Republicans, led by Elise Stefanik and James Comer, have since hinted at launching an inquiry, and criticized the White House for releasing what they called a “false transcript.” and suggests that this action may violate the law. Presidential Records Act. In a letter to White House counsel Ed Siskel, the lawmakers demanded the preservation of all records associated with the altered transcript, saying “White House staff did not rewrite the president’s words to make it politically convenient.” could.”