In a remarkable turn just days before the election, the White House pulled the plug on President Joe Biden's remaining campaign calls after he referred to Trump supporters as “garbage.”
The incident, which unfolded during a call with a Latino voter outreach group, escalated into a media firestorm when Biden not only disparaged former President Donald Trump but took aim at his supporters, specifically addressing an incident at Trump’s recent rally where Puerto Ricans were disparagingly mentioned.
The backlash to Biden's remarks was swift. The White House initially released a transcript of his speech, which quickly drew scrutiny for alterations. Official White House stenographers documented Biden saying, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters.”
Yet the White House released a version with the quote tweaked to “supporter’s” (singular) rather than “supporters” (plural), an alteration that federal officials noted as a breach of protocol.
Biden on Republicans: “these are the kind of guys you'd like to smack in the ass."
In 1 week we were called Nazis, garbage, weak, and dumb and now the President is sharing his fantasy about using physical force.pic.twitter.com/aUyUW16lQ6
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) November 3, 2024
This editing raised alarms within the government’s stenography and archival teams. In a rare move, these officials went public with concerns about the transcript’s authenticity. Under the Presidential Records Act of 1978, which mandates the preservation of accurate records, altering the President's words for public release is considered highly irregular and, by some interpretations, illegal.
The White House’s decision to change Biden's words has already prompted figures like House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik and Oversight Chairman James Comer to consider opening an investigation.
As a byproduct of Biden’s comments and the subsequent transcript dispute, the campaign team decided to cancel Biden’s scheduled calls, which were not directly tied to the Harris campaign. This sudden cancellation leaves Biden without public campaign events leading up to Election Day.
Furthermore, at a Harris campaign event in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where Biden made additional pointed remarks against Trump, attendance was notably low, with only about 100 people showing up. Biden’s comments in Scranton included another jab at Trump, saying, “These are the kind of guys you’d like to smack in the ass.” His tone reportedly indicated the heightened emotions surrounding this election cycle, yet the low turnout hinted at a dwindling enthusiasm among his base.