An internal email reveals that the White House press office altered the transcript of Joe Biden’s recent remark calling Donald Trump’s supporters “garbage,” despite objections from the administration’s Stenographer’s Office.

The press office’s changes raised concerns over protocol, as the official transcript reportedly diverged from what the stenographers documented, sparking controversy and prompting a potential investigation by House Republicans.

The incident occurred following Biden’s remarks to a Latino group in which he referenced a comedian’s joke about Puerto Rico being “a floating island of garbage” during Trump’s recent Madison Square Garden rally.

In response, Biden stated, “the only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters.”

Obama called us clingers.
Hillary called us deplorables.
Kamala calls us fascists.
And Biden just called us garbage.

They don’t respect us & don’t want unity.

But we do.

We want to Make America Great Again.
Our coalition is for ALL AMERICANS.
And in 7 days, we will UNITE… pic.twitter.com/WYZePbYOyK

— Byron Donalds (@ByronDonalds) October 30, 2024

However, the White House press office subsequently edited the official transcript, adding an apostrophe to “supporter’s” to imply Biden was referencing only the comedian, rather than Trump’s supporters.

In an email obtained by the Associated Press, a supervisor in the Stenographer’s Office expressed frustration over the press office’s unauthorized edit. “If there is a difference in interpretation, the Press Office may choose to withhold the transcript but cannot edit it independently,” the supervisor emphasized, stressing that this situation marked “a breach of protocol and spoilation of transcript integrity between the Stenography and Press Offices.”

According to the AP report, the press office had requested a rapid transcript from the stenographers after Biden’s remarks sparked backlash.

Two things are now confirmed:

1. Biden called EVERY Trump supporter GARBAGE.

2. The White House DOCTORED the transcript.

This is a major scandal. https://t.co/KLBRTulTuy

— John Barrasso (@barrassoforwyo) November 1, 2024

The White House communications team reportedly conferred with Biden after the incident and decided to modify the transcript to reflect their preferred interpretation.

This alteration, however, typically requires the approval of the Stenographer’s Office supervisor.

When the supervisor was unavailable, the press office moved ahead, releasing the altered transcript on social media and the White House website.

The Stenographer’s Office, known for its professionalism and accuracy, rarely sees its work disputed by the press office.

White House reporters consider the stenographers a reliable source for accurately transcribing presidential remarks.

Harris-Biden staffers intentionally altered the official transcript of Biden calling Trump supporters “garbage” — ignoring objections from career government stenographers in a bid to cover for Kamala’s campaign.

“This is a MASSIVE scandal.” @StephenM pic.twitter.com/5Eljs0JOgD

— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) November 1, 2024

The supervisor underscored the need for adherence to proper procedures in a follow-up message, stating, “Regardless of urgency, it is essential to our transcripts’ authenticity and legitimacy that we adhere to consistent protocol for requesting edits, approval, and release.”

In a statement to The New York Post, White House spokesman Andrew Bates defended the press office’s action, explaining that “The President confirmed in his tweet on Tuesday evening that he was addressing the hateful rhetoric from the comedian at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally. That was reflected in the transcript.”

The situation has not gone unnoticed by House Republicans, who are reportedly considering an investigation into the “false transcript” released by the White House.

GOP members argue that such alterations could misrepresent the president’s comments and undermine transparency.

Trump and his supporters have seized on Biden’s remarks, viewing them as further evidence of disrespect toward their base.

At a Wisconsin rally this week, Trump appeared with a garbage truck and donned a garbageman’s vest in response to Biden’s “garbage” comment.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “How do you like my garbage truck? This truck is in honor of Kamala and Joe Biden.” pic.twitter.com/7UwMZ8syvx

— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 30, 2024

Addressing his audience in Green Bay, Trump remarked, “Kamala [Harris] and Joe [Biden] call us garbage. I call you the heart and soul of America.”

With polling still highly competitive, the implications of this event are expected to echo in campaign rhetoric as each camp looks to sway public opinion in crucial battleground states.

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sean Parnell. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.