The White House altered the transcript of President Biden’s controversial “garbage” comment despite the concerns of stenographers, Fox News Digital has confirmed.
In an email viewed by Fox News Digital, a supervisor sounded the alarm on the White House press office’s “breach of protocol and spoilation of transcript integrity between the Stenography and Press Offices.”
“If there is a difference in interpretation, the Press Office may choose to withhold the transcript but cannot edit it independently,” the supervisor wrote in the email. “Our Stenography Office transcript — released to our distro, which includes the National Archives — is now different than the version edited and released to the public by Press Office staff.”
The White House is accused of altering the transcript of President Biden’s controversial “garbage” comment despite concerns raised by stenographers. (Getty Images)
Director of White House Stenography Amy Sands also reprimanded the White House press office after the debacle, writing in an email, “After last night’s process, our team would like to reiterate that rush drafts/excerpts the Stenography Office sends to assist the Press Office are not intended for public distribution or as the final version of the transcript.
“Please avoid sharing rush drafts/excerpts, which are subject to review and might create confusion among staff, media, and the public while our Stenography Office completes a thorough review process.”
When contacted by Fox News Digital, White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said, “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.”
However, what remains unclear is whether the transcript the White House cites is the one that was altered and released to the press or the final transcript that was sent to the National Archives.
The transcript dispute stems from a virtual Harris campaign call Biden participated in on Tuesday with Voto Latino where he took a swipe at former President Trump’s rally in Madison Square Garden, which made headlines after insult comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made a joke referring to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.”
“The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” Biden said. “His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable and it is un-American.”
President Biden referred to Trump supporters as “garbage” during a virtual Harris campaign call. (Screenshot/Voto Latino)
The transcript submitted by White House stenographers originally wrote the word as “supporters.” However, the transcript released by the White House press office had it read “supporter’s” with an apostrophe instead, implying Biden was criticizing Hinchcliffe and not all Trump voters.
The Associated Press reported that the change was made “after the press office ‘conferred with the president,’ according to an internal email from the head of the stenographers’ office.”
Biden’s comment spread like wildfire on social media as Vice President Kamala Harris was making her final pitch to voters in a major Ellipse speech outside the White House.
The president took to X attempting to clarify what he meant to say,
“Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage—which is the only word I can think of to describe it,” Biden wrote on X. “His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That’s all I meant to say. The comments at that rally don’t reflect who we are as a nation.”
Trump himself reacted to the “terrible” comment while speaking at a rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
“Remember Hillary? She said ‘deplorable’ and then said ‘irredeemable,’ right? But she said ‘deplorable.’ That didn’t work out. ‘Garbage’ I think is worse,” Trump said to his supporters. “But he doesn’t know- you have to please forgive him. Please forgive him. For he not knoweth what he said.”
“And I’m convinced he likes me more than he likes Kamala,” Trump quipped.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump talks to reporters as he sits in a garbage truck Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson))
Trump has maximized Biden’s blunder by hopping in a garbage truck in Green Bay, Wisc., while wearing a neon orange safety vest, which he later wore to a rally.
Harris distanced herself from Biden’s “garbage” insult while fielding questions from reporters.
“I think that first of all, he clarified his comments, but let me be clear, I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for,” Harris said, adding that she believes the work she does is about representing all Americans, whether they support her or not.
Harris also told reporters she did speak with the president on Tuesday night, but his “garbage” comment did not come up during their conversation.
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This will be updated as the story develops.
Joseph A. Wulfsohn is a media reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to joseph.wulfsohn@fox.com and on Twitter: @JosephWulfsohn.
