House Republicans are investigating allegations that the White House altered President Joe Biden’s official transcript after he called Trump supporters “garbage.” GOP lawmakers argue that the administration’s actions could constitute a violation of federal law, sparking a formal probe.
House GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) detailed their concerns in a letter to White House Counsel Edward Siskel. They claim that the White House’s choice to release an altered version of Biden’s remarks was aimed at minimizing the political impact of the president’s divisive words.
“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
The controversy stems from Biden’s appearance at a Latino voting event, where he reportedly said, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters.” Yet the official White House transcript changed this statement to, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporter’s — his — his demonization of Latinos.” Republicans say this change misleads the public and undermines transparency.
Stefanik and Comer insist that “White House staff cannot rewrite the words of the President of the United States” to suit a political narrative. They called for the preservation of all related records and urged the White House to release a corrected transcript.
Journalist Michael Shellenberger added his voice to the criticism, stating that altering the transcript could breach the Presidential Records Act. Shellenberger pointed out that the change “makes no sense” given that Biden’s original remarks were recorded on video.
As Election Day nears, Republicans are intensifying their focus on transparency within the Biden administration. This investigation reflects broader GOP concerns about accountability and the importance of preserving an accurate record of presidential statements.
