House Republicans are investigating the White House over allegations that it altered the official transcript of President Joe Biden’s recent remarks where he referred to Trump supporters as “garbage.” GOP leaders argue the White House’s actions could be a violation of federal law and are demanding answers on the matter.
In a formal letter to White House Counsel Edward Siskel, House GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) raised concerns over the administration’s actions. They believe the White House released a modified version of Biden’s comments to minimize the backlash over his language, calling it “not only craven” but also potentially illegal under the Presidential Records Act of 1978.
“No one is above the law, not even the President of the United States” – Kamala
The White House just broke the law by altering the transcript of Biden’s garbage comment.
.@KamalaHarris I assume you will call for an investigation and prosecute those responsible, right? pic.twitter.com/evg0no2TaB
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) November 1, 2024
At the center of the issue is Biden’s response at a Latino voting group event, where he described Trump’s supporters as “garbage.” The video captures Biden saying, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” yet the official transcript released by the White House changed this to, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporter’s — his — his demonization of Latinos.”
Stefanik and Comer argue that changing Biden’s words to sound less controversial is a breach of public trust, especially with the election nearing. “White House staff cannot rewrite the words of the President of the United States to be more politically on message,” they wrote, insisting that all records and communications related to Biden’s comment be preserved.
Journalist Michael Shellenberger also questioned the White House’s actions, suggesting the alteration might violate the Presidential Records Act. “The alteration makes no sense,” Shellenberger noted, given that Biden’s original remarks were recorded and publicly available.
The White House has not yet responded to these claims, but this investigation underscores Republicans’ ongoing efforts to hold the administration accountable for what they see as potential legal and ethical breaches.
