The White House’s attempt to cover up President Joe Biden’s comments labeling supporters of former President Donald Trump as “garbage” may have violated the law.
House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik and Oversight Chairman James Comer explained why in a letter to White House Counsel Edward Siskel on Wednesday.
🚨BREAKING: Biden-Harris White House may have violated the law by altering President Biden’s “garbage” remarks in official transcript.
House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (@RepStefanik) and Oversight Chairman James Comer (@RepJamesComer) are raising concerns… pic.twitter.com/52z6J7EO7q
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) October 30, 2024
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The letter was sent a day after President Joe Biden attacked Trump’s supporters over a joke made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe about Puerto Rico during a MAGA rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.
“Just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico ‘a floating island of garbage,’” Biden moaned in a special address from the White House. “Well, let me tell you something … I don’t know the Puerto Rican that I know … or Puerto Rico where I’m – in my home state of Delaware – they’re good decent, honorable people,” Biden said.
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“The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” Biden continued. “His, his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable and it’s un-American.”
According to CNN:
“The White House quickly tried to clean up the president’s remarks, with spokesman Andrew Bates saying he’d been referring to the ‘hateful rhetoric’ at the rally in New York, not the former president’s backers. He said that Biden had actually said this: “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporter’s – his – his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American.”
Biden also attempted to explain on X.
Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage—which is the only word I can think of to describe it. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That’s all I meant to say. The…
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 30, 2024
“Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage—which is the only word I can think of to describe it. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That’s all I meant to say. The comments at that rally don’t reflect who we are as a nation,” the 46th POTUS wrote.
“White House staff cannot rewrite the words of the President of the United States to be more politically on message,” Stefanik and Comer wrote to Siskel. “Though President Biden’s relevance continues to diminish, his words continue to matter, even as they become increasingly divisive and erratic.
“We right 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,” the letter read. “We also demand that the White House issue a corrected transcript with the accurate words.”
Biden’s harsh words, which many likened to Hillary Clinton labeling Trump supporters as “deplorables” in 2016, forced his vice president to address the controversy on Wednesday, when the Democratic presidential nominee attempted to distance herself from her boss.
“Listen, I think, first of all, he clarified his comments, but let me be clear: I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for,” Kamala Harris said. “You heard my speech last night and continuously throughout my career. I believe that the work that I do is about representing all the people whether they support me or not.”
Trump also addressed the controversy on Wednesday when he donned an orange and yellow sanitation vest and boarded a garbage truck carrying his name ahead of a rally in Green Bay, Wis., The Associated Press reports.
“How do you like my garbage truck?” Trump asked as he leaned out of the passenger’s seat. “This is in honor of Kamala and Joe Biden.”
Puerto Rico shadow Sen. Zoraida Buxo, a Republican, endorsed Trump at a rally in Allentown, Penn., on Tuesday, while other Puerto Ricans have spoken out in support of his campaign, as well, according to Fox News.
“We won’t get rattled, we won’t yield to ignorance [or] foolishness… we will remain focused on what is very important,” Buxo said.
Roberto Albino, a “proud Puerto Rican” also complemented Trump and held a prayer to kick off his rally in Allentown, according to the news site.
Henchcliffe, meanwhile, has defended his Puerto Rico jokes, and firing shots at Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and others who criticized his set on X.
“These people have no sense of humor,” Hinchcliffe posted to X. “Wild that a vice presidential candidate would take time out of his ‘busy schedule’ to analyze a joke taken out of context to make it seem racist.”
“I love Puerto Rico and vacation there,” he continued. “I made fun of everyone…watch the whole set. I’m a comedian Tim…might be time to change your tampon.”
The Daily Show host Jon Stewart, a renowned liberal comedian who hosted coverage of the Democratic National Convention, has also defended Hinchcliffe, according to Fox News.
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“There’s something wrong with me. I find that guy very funny,” Stewart said with a laugh.
“Obviously, in retrospect, having a roast comedian come to a political rally a week before Election Day and roasting a key demographic – probably not the best decision by the campaign politically,” Stewart said.
“But to be fair, the guy’s just really doing what he does.”