White House’s Handling of Biden’s ‘Garbage’ Comment Under Investigation for Potential Violation of Federal Law
A recent controversy arose from remarks made by President Joe Biden during a virtual event, where he commented that the only “garbage” he perceived was from Donald Trump’s supporters. This sparked backlash from House Republicans, who claimed Biden’s comments were insulting and divisive. In an attempt to clarify, the White House modified the official transcript, inserting an apostrophe to change the context of the statement, which led to accusations of political manipulation and potential violations of the Presidential Records Act.
Republican representatives Elise Stefanik and James Comer have demanded that the Biden administration preserve all communications related to the alteration and provide an accurate transcript. They criticized the president for his choice of words, suggesting it reflects a broader disrespect from Democrats towards a significant portion of the American populace.
In the wake of the incident, former President Trump humorously campaigned in a garbage truck, using Biden’s comments to further his political agenda. The controversy has drawn attention not just for the statements made, but also for the subsequent actions taken by the White House to manage the fallout, highlighting the contentious political climate as the 2024 elections approach.
Cleaning up after Joe Biden’s trash talk is a crime, according to two House Republicans.
In a comment made during a Tuesday virtual event, while trying to make political hay out of a joke told at a Sunday Trump rally, President Joe Biden said, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” according to CNN.
As damage control kicked in, Biden and aides insisted there was an invisible apostrophe there that no one heard. In the official transcript, the insertion of the apostrophe allowed Biden to seem to have been saying something different than trashing Trump supporters.
BREAKING: Rep @EliseStefanik sent a scorching letter to the White House Counsel demanding they correctly quote Biden’s “garbage” comment after the official WH transcript EDITED it to cover for Biden.
They may have BROKEN THE LAW.
The WH is trying to rewrite history. This is… pic.twitter.com/EZEMTTkv0K
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) October 30, 2024
“The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporter’s — his — his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American,” the sanitized version reads.
In response, House Republican Conference Chairwoman Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York and House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman Rep. James Comer of Kentucky are alleging that the Biden White House crossed the line in the name of political PR.
Comer and Stefanik allege that by altering the truth, the White House violated the Presidential Records Act.
A letter to White House Counsel Edward Siskel demands all internal communications related to making Biden sound better be saved, and that an accurate transcript be put on the official government site, according to a news release on the website of the House Oversight Committee.
“Americans were rightfully insulted when President Biden, seeking to boost Ms. Harris’s presidential campaign, referred to an enormous swath of the country as ‘floating . . . garbage.’ President Biden’s vindictive words were unsurprising, given his previous statements regarding people who choose not to vote for his preferred candidate,” the letter said, referring to Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Unsurprising too were the White House’s actions after he said them. Instead of apologizing or clarifying President Biden’s words, the White House instead sought to change them (despite them being recorded on video) by releasing a false transcript of his remarks. The move is not only craven, but it also appears to be in violation of federal law, including the Presidential Records Act of 1978,” the lawmakers wrote.
“White House staff cannot rewrite the words of the President of the United States to be more politically on message. Though President Biden’s relevance continues to diminish, his words continue to matter, even as they become increasingly divisive and erratic,” the letter said, demanding the Biden White House “retain and preserve all documents and internal communications regarding President Biden’s statement and the release of the inaccurate transcript.”
Former President Donald Trump took advantage of the comment to campaign in a garbage truck.
TRUMP ARRIVES FOR CAMPAIGN RALLY IN A GARBAGE TRUCK!
“How do you like my garbage truck? This truck is in honor of Kamala and Joe Biden.”
“For Joe Biden to make that statement — it’s really a disgrace” pic.twitter.com/jA9nEQKvCg
— J Stewart (@triffic_stuff_) October 30, 2024
Republican Rep. John Rose of Tennessee said the House must go on record to chide Biden for the comment, according to Fox News.
“President Biden must be condemned for calling millions of Americans who support Donald Trump garbage,” Rose said.
WOW! It wasn’t just Trump. Vivek Ramaswamy also became a professional garbage collector today 😂😂😂
We turned Biden’s disgusting insult into a nationwide movement to get people to appreciate blue-collar workers again.
This is what the America First movement is all about. pic.twitter.com/ecAp7jqjWf
— George (@BehizyTweets) October 30, 2024
“First, Democrats called half the country deplorables. Now, they are doubling down, calling us garbage. Democrats’ disrespect for half the country’s views and opinions is exactly what is wrong with the leadership of extreme far-left liberals,” Rose said.
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