October 31, 2024
In a sharp escalation, House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik and House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer are questioning the White House’s integrity over a recently released transcript of President Biden’s remarks. The transcript in question appears to modify a statement by Biden, in which he allegedly referred to supporters of former President Donald Trump as “garbage.” The Republicans argue that this revision not only misrepresents Biden’s words but may also breach the Presidential Records Act.
On Wednesday, Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and Comer (R-Ky.) sent a letter to White House counsel Edward Siskel demanding that records relating to the transcript’s creation and modification be preserved. The letter asserts that in the final days before the 2024 presidential election, with the Biden administration choosing to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for president instead of pursuing a second term, any misrepresentation of Biden’s words has the potential to mislead the public on a significant scale.
“President Biden’s vindictive words were unsurprising, given his previous statements regarding people who choose not to vote for his preferred candidate,” the two representatives wrote, referencing Biden’s Tuesday remarks. “Unsurprising too were the White House’s actions after he said them.”
The disputed comment arose during a Zoom call between Biden and the voter outreach organization Voto Latino, during which Biden reportedly responded to an offhand remark made at a Trump rally. Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe had made a disparaging comment about Puerto Rico, referring to it as a “floating island of garbage,” to which Biden responded, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters.”
The White House’s official transcript, however, diverged from Biden’s initial response. It states: “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporter’s — his — his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American.” Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates defended the transcript, claiming Biden’s words were intended as a rebuke of the “hateful rhetoric” expressed at the rally.
Stefanik and Comer accused the White House of attempting to soften Biden’s response for political reasons. “White House staff cannot rewrite the words of the President of the United States to be more politically on message,” they noted. Their letter calls for the preservation of all documents and internal communications related to the transcript, emphasizing that any such alterations could constitute a violation of the Presidential Records Act, a law designed to protect the authenticity of presidential documents.
Trump quickly used the alleged “garbage” comment to fuel his campaign, rallying his supporters in North Carolina with a call to “forgive” Biden, despite what he described as “Biden and Harris treating the country like garbage.” As Biden’s political relevance declines amid an election dominated by Harris and her running mate Tim Walz, his influence, according to Stefanik and Comer, remains significant enough to warrant transparency in his every word.
Vice President Harris, aiming to distance herself from the controversy, clarified, “I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for.” In her speech on Tuesday from the Ellipse, she reiterated the importance of unity in breaking through the country’s deep divisions.
For now, the controversy has added a new layer of tension as Americans prepare to make their voices heard at the ballot box, and it remains to be seen if the White House will issue a new transcript that fully reflects Biden’s words.
Sources:
- Fox News Digital (Original report on the Stefanik-Comer letter)
- White House official statements (Andrew Bates’ clarification)
- Presidential Records Act (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration)
- Voto Latino
