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The White House modified a transcript of President Biden’s controversial “garbage” remark about Trump supporters
Biden created an uproar earlier this week with his remarks to Latino activists responding to racist comments at a Trump rally made by the comedian Tony Hinchcliffe. (File Photo)
The White House has come under fire for altering the transcript of Joe Biden’s remarks regarding Donald Trump’s supporters, a move described as a “breach of protocol” by the White House Stenography Office.
This row began after the outgoing US President made controversial comments during a video call with Latino activists, where he appeared to rebuke GOP supporters following a derogatory joke by popular US comedian Tony Hinchcliffe at a Trump rally.
‘Floating island of garbage’
During the call, Biden responded to Hinchcliffe’s remark about Puerto Rico being a “floating island of garbage,” saying, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters.” However, the White House press office later modified this statement by adding an apostrophe, changing “supporters” to “supporter’s,” which implied that Biden was only referring to Hinchcliffe rather than Trump’s broader base.
An internal email
This issue sparked backlash and raised serious concerns among stenographers responsible for documenting presidential statements accurately. An internal email from Amy Sands, the director of the Stenography Office, revealed that the press office proceeded with the modification without proper approval.
According to the New York Post, Sands underlined that while the press office could request changes, any edits must be approved by her office to maintain transcript integrity. The email stated, “If there is a difference in interpretation, the Press Office may choose to withhold the transcript but cannot edit it independently.”
The urgency for a revised transcript came after Biden’s comments ignited controversy, prompting quick action from the press office. However, Sands was not available to review the proposed changes before they were released publicly. The altered version was disseminated on social media and the White House website shortly after it was created, further complicating matters.
Calls For Probe
Republican lawmakers quickly seized upon Biden’s remarks, accusing him of insulting Trump supporters. Former US President Trump capitalised on the situation during a rally in Wisconsin, where he mocked Biden’s comments by appearing in a garbage truck. Trump’s supporters echoed this sentiment, framing Biden’s remarks as an attack on millions of Americans.
House Republicans are considering launching a probe into what they describe as a “false transcript” released by the White House. They have urged the administration to preserve all documents related to the incident and are calling for a corrected transcript that accurately reflects Biden’s original words.
Rep. James Comer, the Republican chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik demanded the White House produce the records. They’re also calling for the White House to make available for a briefing the top supervisor of the White House Stenography’s Office.
“The White House cannot simply rewrite President Biden’s rhetoric,” Comer and Stefanik wrote. “…We are concerned with the latest reporting of the White House’s apparent political decision to protect the Biden-Harris Administration, instead of following longstanding and proper protocols.”
(With agency inputs)
- Location :
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
Source: politics.einnews.com…
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