House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) today are raising concerns the Biden-Harris White House may have violated the Presidential Records Act by revising President Biden’s remarks, in which he referred to President Trump’s supporters as “garbage.” In a letter to White House Counsel Edward Siskel, the lawmakers demand that the White House retain and preserve all documents and internal communications related to President Biden’s statement and the release of the inaccurate transcript. They also call on the White House to issue a corrected transcript containing the accurate wording.
Below are excerpts from the letter. The full letter can be found here.
“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. 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.
“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. We write to demand the White House retain and preserve all documents and internal communications regarding President Biden’s statement and the release of the inaccurate transcript. We also demand that the White House issue a corrected transcript with the accurate words.”
