ABC News made changes to the transcript of President Biden’s interview after White House officials raised concerns about the accuracy of the president’s words, according to sources familiar with the situation.
The moment in question occurred during the interview with George Stephanopoulos when the president was asked how he would feel if he lost to former President Trump in a race. The original transcript quoted Mr. Biden as saying, “I’ll feel as long as I gave it my all and I did the goodest job as I know I can do, that’s what this is about.”
By the next day, the transcript had been updated online to read, “I’ll feel as long as I gave it my all and I did the good as job as I know I can do, that’s what this is about.” An editors’ note was added to explain that the transcript had been revised for clarity.
The actual words spoken by Mr. Biden were difficult to discern and subject to interpretation. ABC’s standards team reviewed the audio after inquiries from the White House and other news organizations about whether the president said “goodest” or “good as.”
After the review, the transcript was adjusted with an editors’ note added. The audio and video of the interview were not altered.
Following the transcript adjustment, the president’s re-election campaign requested that news outlets, including The New York Times, update their coverage to reflect the revised quote.
In a time of intense scrutiny on Mr. Biden’s public statements, every word he says is closely analyzed. White House stenographers raised concerns about the accuracy of the transcript compared to their recordings, prompting a discussion with ABC representatives.
The interview, which drew 8.5 million viewers, was one of ABC’s most-watched prime-time news programs since 2018.
At a time of heightened scrutiny, every public statement made by President Biden is closely examined, especially in unscripted situations like the ABC interview.
The White House stenographers, who record all of the president’s public remarks, noticed discrepancies between their recordings and the ABC transcript, leading to discussions with ABC representatives.
The interview, which aired on Friday, garnered significant viewership and was one of ABC’s most-watched prime-time news programs in recent years.
