Presidential Records Act Possibly Breached by White House Over Biden's "Garbage" Comment in Transcript

Trump Responds to Biden's Comment

Yesterday, ex-President Donald Trump took a ride around Wisconsin in a garbage truck, making a statement that "250 million people are not garbage." This was in response to President Joe Biden's comment during a Zoom call on Tuesday, where he stated, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his [Trump’s] supporters.”

White House and Media's Reaction

The White House and media outlets have claimed that Biden's words were misunderstood. According to the New York Times, Biden only seemed to call Trump voters "garbage." The Washington Post described the "garbage" reference as "disputed." The White House informed reporters that Biden was not referring to Trump’s supporters, but to a comedian who made a joke about Puerto Rico’s garbage issue on Saturday. The official White House transcript of Biden’s Zoom call reads, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporter’s — his — his demonization of Latinos…”

Alleged Violation of the Presidential Records Act

However, even progressive news outlets have now conceded that Biden did indeed refer to Trump’s supporters as “garbage.” As was first pointed out yesterday morning, the White House may have violated the Presidential Records Act by altering official transcripts. By 4:45 pm yesterday, House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik and Oversight Chairman James Comer had sent a letter to the White House demanding preservation of all communications and documents related to the editing. “White House staff cannot re-write the words of the President of the United States to be more politically on message,” they wrote.

Media Coverage of the Incident

The Washington Post reported that what Biden said was merely part of his "record of verbal gaffes," while "Trump has for years vilified his political opponents with vicious... attacks..." This spin indicates that the newspaper has a long way to go to achieve the balance that owner Jeff Bezos seeks. While Trump has indeed made harsh comments about his political opponents, he has never referred to Americans who voted for his opponents as garbage. Biden’s comment is in line with the contempt Democratic leaders have shown for Trump voters. Barack Obama blamed voters who “cling” to their religion by voting for his opponents. Hillary Clinton referred to Trump voters as “deplorables.” Both Barack and Michelle Obama recently claimed that black men who voted for Trump were sexist. These incidents suggest that the period leading up to election day could be tumultuous. What could happen?

Bottom Line

With the alleged violation of the Presidential Records Act by the White House and the ongoing political tension, the road to the upcoming election day seems to be filled with uncertainty. What are your thoughts on this matter? Share this article with your friends and engage in a discussion. Don't forget to sign up for the Daily Briefing, which is available every day at 6pm.