The White House changed the transcript of Biden’s “trash” comment despite stenographer’s concerns

The White House Shorthand Office expresses “grave concerns” about what it called a “breach of protocol” in the distribution of a redacted transcript of President Joe Biden’s controversial “junk” comment that was intercepted by former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris had to distance herself from earlier in the week.

The problems were identified in an email from the Shorthand Office to White House press and communications officials, obtained and reviewed by ABC News and this was first reported by AP.

Biden’s gaffe drew Republican fury following comments he made Tuesday night during a Voto Latino campaign call that appeared to refer to Trump supporters as “garbage” and came as Harris was delivering her campaign’s high-profile “closing message” at the Ellipse near White House.

“Recently, a speaker from his rally called Puerto Rico “floating island of garbage”. Well, let me tell you something. I don’t – I – I don’t know a Puerto Rican that – I know that – or a Puerto Rican where I come from – in my home state of Delaware, there are good, decent, honorable people. The only garbage going around is his supporters – his – his demonization of Latinos is unreasonable and un-American. It goes completely against everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been.”

Transcripts from the shorthand office show that the president told interviewers, “The only garbage I see there is his supporters – his – his demonization of Latinos is unwise and un-American.”

The the White House version was released has an apostrophe in the word “supporter,” which the White House pointed out when Biden was referring to the comedian created by Tony Hinchcliffe during Donald Trump’s Sunday rally at Madison Square Garden.

MORE: Harris distances herself from Biden’s ‘trash’ comment: ‘I strongly disagree’ with criticizing people based on their vote

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that in a tweet that evening, the president “clarified what he said” to make sure what he said was not “taken out of context” and that he was talking about the comedian.

With just days until the election, Trump attacked Biden’s comments, going so far as to arrive at the Wisconsin battleground wearing an orange vest and driving a garbage truck with his name on the side.

Trump himself used the same word to describe the “people surrounding” Vice President Harris.

In an email, White House Office of Shortenographic Officer Director Amy Sands wrote: “The transcript from our Office of Short Forms – made available to our distribution, which includes the National Archives – now differs from the version edited and made public by Press Office staff.”

“In case of a difference in interpretation, the Press Office may decide to withhold the transcript, but cannot edit it itself,” she added.

The shorthand office is not questioning the apostrophe added by the White House press and communications team, but the way it was handled.

Sands explained that the Press Office requested an “urgent” transcript of Biden’s Voto Latino event. Her office said that at 8:56 p.m., and after a “conference” between White House officials and the president at 9:10 p.m., they requested changes and contacted Sands for approval, although she was unable to immediately review the requested changes.

“At 9:35 p.m., after attempting to contact me again, the Press Office created a publication schedule of 9:45 p.m., which I had not confirmed, and then edited and published the campaign transcript at 10:09 p.m., bypassing the standard editing and publication of the Shorthand Office of the Record.” we read in the email.

Sands said this “raises serious concerns” and is a “breach of protocol and a breach of transcript integrity” between the offices.

“The White House Transcript must be an autonomous product of the White House Shorthand Office. The Press Office may request changes for consideration, but all requests must be ultimately approved by the Stenographic Office and published through official Stenography distribution. The troublemakers can then share I explained this publicly in presentations to the Press Office.

Asked about the email, senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates told ABC News that “the president confirmed in a tweet Tuesday night that he addressed the comedian’s hateful rhetoric during Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden.”

“That was reflected in the transcript,” Bates added.

The White House changed the transcript of Biden’s “trash” comment despite stenographer’s concerns originally appeared abcnews.go.com