Leftwing Washington outlet Politico regularly carries water for Democrats, but Tuesday night they hauled President Joe Biden’s “garbage,” attempting to cover up the president’s attack on Donald Trump’s supporters by disingenuously chopping up his statement.
Biden’s latest gaffe quickly escalated into a major headache for Vice President Kamala Harris, who reportedly has rebuffed Biden’s attempts to join her on the campaign trail.
Politico’s coverup is an acknowledgment of just how damaging Biden’s comments – which are already being compared to Hillary Clinton’s “basket of deplorables” comment from 2016 – could be to Harris.
Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), Trump’s running mate, isn’t letting Politico get away with it. He called Politico’s reporting a “scandal” and laid bare the outlet’s flimsy coverup.
‘”The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters.’ That’s a direct quote” from Biden, Vance tweeted. “That’s what Kamala Harris’s boss said.”
He included a screenshot showing how Politico chopped up Biden’s quote that read, “Biden, in a Zoom call with the organization Voto Latino, said “the only garbage” was the “hatred” of Trump supporters who said such things about American citizens.”
“Do Jon Lemire, Alexander Burns, Politico have an ounce of integrity?” Vance asked. “Will they correct this obvious falsehood?”
“The fact that these ‘journalists’ are covering for a catastrophic error from Kamala’s campaign is a scandal,” Vance tweeted, along with the clip of Biden’s clear attack on Trump supports.
Politico‘s Lemire leaned in to the deception. He tweeted a transcript of what he called “the full Biden quote from the Zoom tonight, which is being taken out of context.”
It appears Lemire thought a transcript of Biden’s stumbling, repeated words, and abrupt – often mid-word – departure to a new thought would bolster Politico’s case. It is unlikely to mollify Vance, Trump supporters, or most who heard Biden’s comment.
But more significantly, Lemire’s reported transcript does not match what Biden said – or Politico’s original reporting.
The Trump campaign blistered Lemire for his cleanup backfire.
“Politico is desperately trying to clean up Biden’s disgusting comments, but they can’t even do that right,” Taylor Budowitch tweeted. “Lemire’s doctored transcript doesn’t even match his original reporting, which also failed to capture the correct context. Watch the video Jon Lemire and try again!”
Donald Trump Jr. ridiculed Lemire as well, pointing out that by coverup Biden’s comments, its Harris who benefits.”This wasn’t some accident from Politico,” he tweeted.
“Leftist hack Jon Lemire tried to do clean up for Team Kamala and lied about what was said to protect her. He didn’t realize that video was going to come out that would expose him as a liar and Dem propagandist!!!”
Biden’s team tried to clean up the mess from his growing scandal through a spokesman, who told NBC News Biden was referring to the comedian who supported Trump and insulted Puerto Rico.
The Harris campaign has leaned into a joke from comedian Tony Hinchcliffe during Sunday’s massive Trump rally at Madison Square Garden, using it to attack Trump in the waning days of the campaign as Harris’s hopes dim.
Vance hit Harris and her establishment media allies, challenging them to report Biden’s statement accurately.
“Will the networks that obsessively covered a joke from a comedian at a Trump rally cover the fact that the Kamala Harris campaign is insulting half of the country?” he tweeted. “Will they even report honestly on this disgusting behavior from our present leadership?”
Bradley Jaye is a Capitol Hill Correspondent for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter at @BradleyAJaye.