Staff Reports
In a surprising display of acrobatics that would make a circus performer proud, the Biden administration has once again demonstrated that it operates on a need-to-know basis. A recent report highlights how the White House press officials scrambled to alter a transcript where President Biden may have inadvertently offended millions of Trump supporters. After Biden’s comments regarding Latino activists and a stand-up comic’s trashy remarks about Puerto Rico, the urgency to sanitize the transcript became paramount.
During a video call, Biden allegedly aimed a vague jab at Trump’s loyal base, calling them “garbage.” However, when the official transcript was released, the word “supporters” mysteriously transformed into “supporter’s.” This deft linguistic revision was allegedly to clarify that Biden was only targeting Hinchcliffe, not the millions who wear their MAGA hats proudly. Talk about trying to put a shiny spin on a dumpster fire.
White House altered Biden’s “garbage” quote in his transcript despite the stenographer opposing.
Now there are two conflicting records.
The Stenography Office transcript (that goes in the National Archives) is now different than the transcript released by the WH Press Office. pic.twitter.com/ytWT1CHtis
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) November 1, 2024
Internal emails from the head of the stenographers’ office surfaced, spilling the beans on the flagrant breach of protocol. According to the internal memo, editors can’t just take the liberty to polish the president’s words without losing their credibility in the process. The stenographers pointed out that changing the transcript for a “better fit” was like changing the rules of Monopoly midway through a game. It’s all about keeping the board fair—even if it does mean losing some dice along the way.
Meanwhile, the timing couldn’t be weirder. Biden’s cringe-worthy comments collided with Vice President Kamala Harris attempting to wave her magic wand of unity outside the White House. It seems the administration is struggling to realize that while bipartisan friendship is nice, they might need to either coordinate their speeches better or send out a memo to steer clear of direct contradictions.
On the fundraising front, the Trump campaign saw an immediate opportunity to capitalize on Biden’s verbal slip. In typical Trump fashion, he staged a photo op in a garbage truck, making it abundantly clear that he was more than happy to dive into the muck if it meant snagging a few campaign dollars. Meanwhile, House Republicans have announced plans to summon the ghost of transcripts past, debating whether to launch an investigation into the White House’s apparent cover-up. Their argument centers on a claim that Biden’s team cannot simply rewrite his words to craft a more palatable narrative.
Overall, this episode underscores the lengths to which this administration will go to safeguard its image—sacrificing transparency for political expedience. It’s becoming increasingly clear that in this administration, words are malleable, and prying their true meaning from the White House is akin to pulling teeth from an alligator. With the potential for congressional action looming over them, it appears that the White House may need to stock up on some real transparency before the next round of comments gets sanitized.
