An internal email obtained by the Resist Times has revealed disagreement within the White House over how to transcribe remarks made by President Joe Biden in which he to refered to Donald Trump ‘MAGA’ supporters as “garbage.”
According to The Associated Press, White House officials altered the official transcript of a livestreamed video call in which Biden addressed comments made at a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Two administration officials confirmed to the news agency that the edits prompted objections from federal stenographers responsible for documenting the president’s remarks.
During the call with the nonprofit group Voto Latino, Biden attempted to respond to comments made at a Trump rally by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.” In addressing the remarks, Biden said: “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters – his – his demonisation of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American,” according to the transcript prepared by White House stenographers.
Holy cr*p. The sitting President just called half the country “garbage” pic.twitter.com/Cemcua9yPn
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) October 30, 2024
However, the version later released by the White House press office inserted an apostrophe, changing “supporters” to “supporter’s.” The adjustment altered the meaning of the statement, making it appear that Biden was referring to a single individual — the comedian — rather than Trump supporters more broadly.
An internal email from the head of the stenographers’ office indicating the changes were made after the press office conferred with the president. The authenticity of the email was confirmed by two government officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The stenographers’ office is responsible for preparing accurate transcripts of both public and private presidential remarks for archival preservation and public distribution. In the email, the supervisor described the alteration as “a breach of protocol and spoliation of transcript integrity between the Stenography and Press Offices.”
These people have no sense of humor. Wild that a vice presidential candidate would take time out of his “busy schedule” to analyze a joke taken out of context to make it seem racist. I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone…watch the whole set. I’m a… https://t.co/VFxHRcdv5k
— Tony Hinchcliffe (@TonyHinchcliffe) October 27, 2024
“If there is a difference in interpretation, the Press Office may choose to withhold the transcript but cannot edit it independently,” the supervisor wrote, according to the report.
Biden later addressed the controversy on social media, stating that he was not referring to all Trump supporters as “garbage” but instead to the “hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter” at the rally in Madison Square Garden.
The remarks sparked controversy on the same evening Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris delivered a major speech at the National Mall in Washington. Harris, who has emphasized the importance of respecting Americans across political differences, distanced herself from Biden’s comments the following day.
“Let me be clear,” Harris told reporters. “I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for.”
Republicans criticized Biden’s original remarks, arguing they reflected his view of Trump supporters. The next day, Trump appeared in Green Bay, Wisconsin, wearing a safety vest and sitting in a garbage truck, telling reporters it was “in honour of Kamala and Joe Biden.”
White House senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates did not directly address the transcript edits but said Biden’s clarification on social media was reflected in the released transcript.
House Republicans are now discussing whether to launch an investigation, accusing White House staff of issuing what they described as a false transcript of the president’s remarks.
