Staff Reports
The Biden administration is at it again, this time potentially rewriting history—or at least the president’s own words. House Republican heavyweights Elise Stefanik and James Comer are diving deep into the murky waters at the White House, investigating whether officials have illegally altered a transcript of President Biden’s recent comments, which bluntly referred to supporters of Donald Trump as “garbage.”
Stefanik and Comer are not just looking for a casual chat over coffee. They have requested full access to all White House documents and internal communications related to Biden’s comments made earlier this week. The implication is clear: if the White House did indeed manipulate the transcript, it could spell trouble under the Presidential Records Act. The audacity of these officials to potentially change the president’s words, crafted in real-time on video, is nothing short of a political circus.
In an official letter to White House counsel Edward Siskel, the duo made it abundantly clear that instead of taking responsibility or clarifying his remarks, the Biden administration apparently opted for a little magic—changing them to fit a more politically correct narrative. This level of spin is enough to make even seasoned political strategists raise an eyebrow. It’s almost as if they believe that if a word isn’t to their liking, all it takes is a bit of “abracadabra” to make it disappear.
Thank you @EliseStefanik and @JamesComer!
The White House released a DOCTORED transcript to try to cover up Joe Biden’s ‘garbage’ comments.
That is a major violation and most legal experts say it is unlawful! pic.twitter.com/DM97tM8zkV
— Alex Bruesewitz 🇺🇸 (@alexbruesewitz) October 31, 2024
The House Republicans have also demanded a genuine correction, calling on the White House to release a transcript that accurately reflects what Biden actually said. It seems they are calling out the administration’s attempt at damage control for what it really is—an attempt to sanitize a poorly thought-out statement rather than admit fault. It’s a bold move, and one can’t help but wonder if Biden’s comments were less about accountability and more about avoiding backlash.
Biden’s original comments were a veritable landmine of controversy, where he denounced Trump supporters with a flair for insult. Following a predictable wave of backlash, a swift social media clarification attempted to smooth over the uproar. According to Biden, he meant to criticize the “demonization of Latinos” rather than denouncing Trump’s entire fanbase. This clarification would have likely gone smoother if not for the additional twist that his comments were allegedly directed towards a single supporter, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe. It seems the president may need to invest in a better explanation strategy if he is to avoid more PR disasters.
Not to be left out, Vice President Kamala Harris has made her own political moves, distancing herself from the fallout of Biden’s remarks while emphasizing her disagreement over criticisms based on voting preferences. However, the question remains: Can she effectively distance herself from a president who has been a cornerstone of her campaign? As the political theater continues, one thing is obvious—Biden’s administration might want to work on their transcript transparency before they find themselves in even deeper waters.
