The White House press office altered an official transcript from a call where President Joe Biden appeared to criticize supporters of former President Donald Trump, stirring objections from federal record-keepers. According to two U.S. officials and an internal email obtained by The Associated Press, the alteration led to internal tension over transcript integrity.
Biden’s Controversial Remarks Spark Reaction
Earlier in the week, Biden addressed Latino activists following racist remarks made at a Trump rally by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.” In the call’s original transcript, Biden reportedly said, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters — his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American.”
However, the White House’s publicly released version included an apostrophe, reading “supporter’s” instead of “supporters,” which aides claimed shifted the criticism to Hinchcliffe rather than Trump’s supporters.
Internal Conflict Over Transcript Integrity
The change reportedly came after the press office “conferred with the president,” as noted in an email from the head of the stenographers’ office. This internal email, confirmed by two officials, condemned the press office’s actions as a “breach of protocol and spoliation of transcript integrity.”
“If there is a difference in interpretation, the Press Office may choose to withhold the transcript but cannot edit it independently,” the supervisor stated, highlighting that the modified transcript now differed from the official version intended for the National Archives.
White House and Trump Campaign Respond
As reporters questioned Biden’s remarks, the White House worked to clarify. Biden later tweeted that his comments were directed at the “hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico” from Trump’s rally. However, Vice President Kamala Harris publicly distanced herself from Biden’s statement, remarking, “I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for.”
The Trump campaign seized the opportunity to fundraise, with Trump even staging a photo op inside a garbage truck, underscoring Biden’s criticism.
Calls for Accountability and Possible House Investigation
The incident prompted House Republicans, including Elise Stefanik and James Comer, to consider an investigation, accusing the White House of “releasing a false transcript.” They penned a letter to White House counsel Ed Siskel, urging the administration to retain records linked to the transcript, arguing the alteration could violate the Presidential Records Act.
As questions linger over transcript handling, White House Senior Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates reiterated that Biden was addressing “the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally,” a stance reflected in the altered transcript.
