The White House press office is facing scrutiny for altering an official transcript of President Joe Biden’s recent call with Latino activists, in which Biden appeared to criticise Donald Trump’s supporters following inflammatory remarks made about Puerto Rico by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe at a Trump rally.
According to official stenographers, Biden originally said, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” which seemed to target Trump supporters collectively. However, the edited version released by the White House press office used an apostrophe, rendering the word as “supporter’s,” implying Biden was specifically condemning Hinchcliffe’s rhetoric, not Trump’s broader base.
This edit has sparked backlash within the White House, with the stenography team objecting to the press office’s alteration without official approval. In an internal email obtained by the Associated Press, the head of the stenographers’ office called this action a breach of protocol that risks transcript integrity.
The email further highlighted that this change, without review, led to inconsistencies between the original and the edited versions, which are preserved for the National Archives.
As the press office published the modified transcript to address media attention quickly, Biden clarified via social media that he was not condemning all Trump supporters but was responding to the "hateful rhetoric" regarding Puerto Rico.
Vice President Kamala Harris also distanced herself from Biden’s comments, advocating for respect toward people of differing political views.
This incident has prompted Republican lawmakers, led by Elise Stefanik and James Comer, to consider an investigation, claiming the edit could violate the Presidential Records Act.
In a letter to White House Counsel Ed Siskel, the lawmakers argued that “White House staff cannot rewrite the words of the President of the United States to be more politically on message,” calling for preservation of documents related to the transcript.
Source:
AP
