White House Accused of Altering Biden Transcript to Downplay Trump Supporters Remark
The White House has been accused of altering the official transcript of a call in which President Joe Biden appeared to criticize supporters of former President Donald Trump, The Associated Press reports.
The alteration, which changed “supporters” to “supporter’s” in a quote, has sparked controversy and raised questions about the integrity of White House transcripts.
The incident stems from Biden’s remarks to Latino activists, where he responded to racist comments made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe at a Trump rally. Hinchcliffe had referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.” According to the official transcript prepared by White House stenographers, Biden stated, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters — his — his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American.”
However, the transcript released by the White House press office altered the quote, replacing “supporters” with “supporter’s,” suggesting Biden was criticizing Hinchcliffe and not Trump supporters. The change was made after the press office “conferred with the president,” according to an internal email obtained by The Associated Press.
The head of the stenographers’ office, in the email, criticized the press office’s actions as “a breach of protocol and spoliation of transcript integrity.” The supervisor stated that while the press office could withhold transcripts, they cannot independently edit them.
This edit came amidst a wave of media inquiries about Biden’s comments, which clashed with Vice President Kamala Harris’ simultaneous call for treating Americans of differing ideologies with respect. The Trump campaign quickly used the quote for fundraising purposes, while Trump himself staged a photo op inside a garbage truck to capitalize on Biden’s remarks.
Harris distanced herself from Biden’s comments, stating that she “strongly disagree[s] with any criticism of people based on who they vote for.”
Biden later clarified on social media that he was not calling all Trump supporters garbage, but specifically referring to the “hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally.”
The White House press office has defended the altered transcript, claiming it accurately reflected Biden’s intent. However, the stenographers’ office maintains that the original transcript was accurate and that any edits should be approved by their supervisor.
House Republicans have called for an investigation into the matter, accusing the White House of releasing a “false transcript.” They have demanded the administration retain all documents and internal communications related to the incident.
