NW Kentucky News

House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik and House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer have expressed concerns regarding the Biden-Harris White House's handling of President Biden's remarks about President Trump's supporters. The lawmakers allege that the White House may have violated the Presidential Records Act by altering a transcript of Biden's comments, in which he referred to Trump supporters as "garbage."

In a letter addressed to White House Counsel Edward Siskel, Stefanik and Comer request that all documents and internal communications related to the statement and the release of what they describe as an inaccurate transcript be retained and preserved. They also urge the White House to provide a corrected version of the transcript with accurate wording.

The letter states: “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.’” It continues by criticizing both President Biden's choice of words and the subsequent actions taken by his administration. “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.”

Stefanik and Comer argue that altering presidential statements is inappropriate and potentially unlawful. They emphasize: “White House staff cannot rewrite the words of the President of the United States to be more politically on message.” The lawmakers conclude their letter with demands for document preservation and a corrected transcript.