House Republicans warn White House it could have violated federal law by editing Biden's transcript

House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik and House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer accused the White House on Wednesday of publishing a "false transcript" of President Joe Biden's controversial remarks on Tuesday, and warned doing so could have violated federal law.

The president appeared to say that supporters of former President Donald Trump were "garbage," during a video call on Tuesday night. But the White House transcript and spokespeople have tried to clarify that the president was referring to the comic who joked that the island of Puerto Rico was "a floating island of garbage" at a Trump event this weekend was garbage, and not the rest of Trump's supporters.

Biden has also tried to clarify his comment.

Stefanik and Comer sent a letter to White House counsel Edward Siskel on Wednesday, demanding that records and communications related to the comment are preserved, along with the transcript, according to Fox News.

"In less than one week, the American people will determine the winner of the 2024 presidential election," the Republicans wrote. "They will choose between two candidates: President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. President Biden — marred by unpopular policies, scandal, and apparent cognitive deterioration — has chosen not to pursue a second term in office."

They outlined how Biden has continued to be a prominent part of Harris' campaign, and served as her "most powerful mouthpiece."

"Americans were rightfully insulted, then, when President Biden, seeking to boost Ms. Harris’ presidential campaign, referred to an enormous swath of the country as ... 'garbage,'" they continued. "President Biden’s vindictive words were unsurprising, given his previous statements regarding people who choose not to vote for his preferred candidate. Unsurprising too were the White House’s actions after he said them." 

The House lawmakers accused the White House of trying to change the comments by publishing a "false transcript of his remarks," and warned that doing so would violate the Presidential Records Act of 1978.

"White House staff cannot rewrite the words of the President of the United States to be more politically on message," Stefanik and Comer wrote. "Though President Biden’s relevance continues to diminish, his words continue to matter, even as they become increasingly divisive and erratic."

The lawmakers concluded with the demand for the preservation of the records connected to the incident, and also demanded that the White House release a "corrected transcript with the accurate words."

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.