The White House press office overruled concerns from its official stenographers to alter a transcript to cover up President Joe Biden’s “garbage” slur, according to two U.S. government officials and an internal email The Associated Press (AP) obtained.
While on a Tuesday get-out-the-vote call with Voto Latino, Biden started to discuss a joke made by comic Tony Hinchcliffe during a Trump rally, before adding that the only garbage “floating out there is his supporters.” The White House responded to outrage about the president’s remarks by posting a written transcript of his comments, modifying “supporters” (many interpreted it this way) to “supporter’s,” claiming that Biden was addressing Hinchcliffe, not Trump voters.
White House stenographers put in their official transcript that Biden had said “supporters,” but the press office released the modified transcript after they “conferred with the president,” according to an email obtained by The AP.
When the head stenographers learned of the modification, the official wrote that it was “a breach of protocol and spoliation of transcript integrity between the Stenography and Press Offices,” an email obtained by The AP reads.
AP *CONFIRMS* White House Cover-Up of Biden’s “Garbage” Comment About Trump Voters
The Associated Press on Thursday night issued a damning report about the White House’s potentially illegal cover-up of President Biden’s remark that Trump supporters are “garbage.”
“The only… pic.twitter.com/S1sXi8GA3P
— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) November 1, 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, 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 official continued in the obtained email.
The stenographers, who create official transcripts to go into National Archives and be shared with the public, were asked by the press office to produce a transcript from Biden’s phone call as backlash intensified, The AP reported. On Tuesday, a two person team, which included one person to type and another to proofread, were on duty. The head of stenographers’ office would’ve needed to approve any edit to their official transcript, according to The AP.
Because the head of stenographers’ office was not able to immediately approve the change, the White House went ahead and circulated the edited transcript, The AP reported.
“Regardless of urgency, it is essential to our transcripts’ authenticity and legitimacy that we adhere to consistent protocol for requesting edits, approval, and release,” the head of stenographers’ office wrote in an email to White House communications director Ben LaBolt and press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
.@POTUS referred to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as “garbage.”
Transcript: pic.twitter.com/4ocg36lDNw
— Andrew Bates (@AndrewJBates46) October 30, 2024
Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage—which is the only word I can think of to describe it. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That’s all I meant to say. The…
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 30, 2024
After the president made the comment during Harris’ closing argument on the Ellipse, Biden’s personal Twitter account issued a statement in an attempt to clean up his remarks. (RELATED: ‘I’m Nervous’: Sense Of Unease Persists Among Harris Rally Crowd)
“Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage—which is the only word I can think of to describe it,” a post from the president’s twitter account reads. “His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That’s all I meant to say. The comments at that rally don’t reflect who we are as a nation.”
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates responded to the AP story by pointing to the president’s clarification.
“The President confirmed in his tweet 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,” he told the outlet.
Amid the controversy, Harris has attempted to distance herself from Biden’s remarks first thing Wednesday morning before hitting the campaign trail.
“Listen, I think that first of all, he clarified his comments. Let me be clear, I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for,” the vice president said.