Biden’s Edited Transcript on Trump Supporters Sparks Uproar

1 Nov at 7:05 pm

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Biden’s Edited Transcript on Trump Supporters Sparks Uproar \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ The White House altered an official transcript of President Biden’s remarks following an uproar over his comments about Trump supporters, with critics accusing the administration of editing the language to avoid backlash. The transcript change, made by press officials and disputed by White House stenographers, has sparked objections from House Republicans, who may launch an investigation. The controversy centers around Biden’s response to derogatory comments made about Puerto Rico at a Trump rally.

White House Transcript Alteration Sparks Uproar Over Biden’s Remarks on Trump Supporters

Controversial Transcript Edit: White House press officials altered the official transcript of Biden’s comments about Trump supporters, leading to objections from career stenographers and Republican lawmakers.
Political Backlash: Biden’s remarks referred to derogatory comments about Puerto Rico made at a Trump rally, and critics argue the edit downplays Biden’s criticism of Trump supporters.
House Republicans Demand Inquiry: GOP leaders are pushing for an investigation, citing potential violations of the Presidential Records Act and questioning the transparency of the administration’s actions.
White House Clarification Efforts: The White House maintains the edit clarifies Biden’s intention, but the controversy highlights political and ethical debates surrounding transcript integrity.

Deep Look

The White House has come under scrutiny for altering an official transcript of President Joe Biden’s recent remarks, igniting a political firestorm over accusations of “transcript tampering.” The controversy centers around comments Biden made on a video call with Latino activists, during which he responded to racially charged remarks from a comedian at a Trump rally that referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.” In his comments, Biden seemed to condemn not only the comedian’s statements but also Trump’s supporters more broadly, sparking backlash that prompted the White House press office to adjust the official transcript, changing “supporters” to “supporter’s” in what they said was an effort to clarify Biden’s intended target.

The change, however, has sparked criticism from within the government. Federal stenographers who document presidential remarks for posterity raised concerns about the alteration, with an internal email from the head of the stenographers’ office characterizing the change as a “breach of protocol.” The email, obtained by The Associated Press and confirmed by two government officials, alleged that the transcript revision compromises the “integrity” of official White House documentation. The stenographers office, responsible for preparing accurate records of public and private presidential remarks for preservation by the National Archives, maintains strict standards for protocol, and alterations are generally subject to oversight by the office’s supervisor.

In Biden’s original remarks, recorded by the stenographers, he was quoted as saying, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters — his — his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American.” The revised transcript released by the White House press office instead used the singular “supporter’s” with an apostrophe, altering the context to suggest Biden was criticizing the comedian who had made the inflammatory comments, rather than Trump’s broader base of support. White House officials later clarified that the edit was made after consulting with Biden himself, noting that the intention was to directly address the “hateful rhetoric” of the comedian and not the millions of Trump’s supporters as a whole.

In an email obtained by The AP, the head of the stenographers’ office stated that any changes to official transcripts require review and approval to maintain authenticity. “If there is a difference in interpretation, the Press Office may choose to withhold the transcript but cannot edit it independently,” wrote the supervisor, adding, “Our Stenography Office transcript — released to our distro, which includes the National Archives — is now different than the version edited and released to the public by Press Office staff.” The email also addressed concerns that White House communications had released an altered transcript to the public without adequate review, a practice seen as compromising the historical accuracy of the president’s remarks.

The situation quickly attracted attention from political opponents. Republicans argued the alteration was a deliberate attempt to water down Biden’s remarks. Within hours, the Trump campaign seized on the opportunity, quickly issuing fundraising appeals and arranging a photo op with Trump standing inside a garbage truck to amplify the controversy. House Republicans, led by Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY), have called for an investigation, demanding that the White House preserve all internal communications related to the transcript modification. In a letter to White House counsel Ed Siskel, Stefanik and Comer argued that “White House staff cannot rewrite the words of the President of the United States to be more politically on message,” and added that the alteration may constitute a violation of the Presidential Records Act of 1978.

White House press officials defended the adjustment, with Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates posting on X (formerly Twitter) that the edit was made to clarify Biden’s intention, specifically addressing “hateful rhetoric” from the comedian. Bates said, “The President confirmed in his tweet on Tuesday evening that he was addressing the hateful rhetoric from the comedian at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally. That was reflected in the transcript.” However, Bates did not directly address the alteration itself, nor did he respond to questions on the procedural steps typically involved in White House transcript adjustments.

Biden himself took to social media to clarify his stance, asserting that he was not characterizing all Trump supporters as “garbage” but was directly responding to “the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally.” Vice President Kamala Harris, meanwhile, attempted to distance herself from the controversy, stating, “Let me be clear, I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for.” This stance marked one of the clearest breaks Harris has made from Biden since taking over the Democratic ticket just over three months ago.

The controversy highlights the role of White House stenographers, who document presidential remarks for preservation in the National Archives. These career professionals ensure accurate records of presidential statements, following stringent protocols to prevent unapproved alterations. That evening, the stenography team on duty produced a transcript as requested by the White House press office. The team, consisting of a “typer” and “proofer,” typically operates under the supervision of the head of the office, whose role is to approve any revisions. The supervisor, however, was reportedly unavailable to review the audio before the press office published the altered transcript on the White House website.

The case has drawn criticism from both political and archival experts, who argue that altering official transcripts poses significant risks to the historical record. As a result, House Republicans are now exploring the possibility of formal inquiries. Trump’s campaign has also leveraged the issue, with campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt calling the White House’s actions “an unethical attempt to alter an official record” in order to manage Biden’s public image. “Joe Biden called more than half the country ‘garbage’ and the Harris-Biden Administration cannot be trusted,” she added. “President Trump will fix it.”

As the White House faces these mounting questions over transparency and historical accuracy, the controversy underscores the complex intersection of public perception, campaign strategy, and official documentation within presidential administrations. The episode highlights the challenges of balancing political messaging with the integrity of the official record, particularly as political discourse grows increasingly contentious. The implications of this incident extend beyond Biden’s remarks, setting a precedent for how future administrations might handle sensitive communications and respond to public criticism.

House Republicans, spearheading the response, argue that transparency and accountability are at stake, with Stefanik and Comer warning that actions taken by White House staff could have long-term implications for public trust in government. They are now pressing the White House to retain all records related to the transcript incident as they consider possible hearings. This call for an investigation reflects concerns that alterations to official records for political gain could undermine trust in the presidential office, with ramifications for future administrations.