White House Edits Transcript of Jared Kushner Calling Protestors in Gaza ‘Part of the Problem’

The following article by Elizabeth Preza was posted on the AlterNet website May 14, 2018:

The White House tried to quietly edit Jared Kushner’s controversial comment — but reporters have the receipts.

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The White House on Monday released an official transcript of President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner addressing the opening ceremony for the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. In the version submitted to reporters, however, the administration neglected to include an important—and controversial—line from the top Trump aide.

“As we have seen from the protests of the last month and even today, those provoking violence are part of the problem and not part of the solution,” Kushner said during his remarks in Jerusalem. At least 52 Palestinians were killed on Monday in Gaza by Israeli security forces.

It’s not the first time the White House has been caught airbrushing official transcripts. In January, after Trump told a bipartisan immigration meeting the would “like” to support a clean DACA bill, the White House removed the president’s comment from the recorded statement. According to theWashington Post, a White House official defended the omission, calling it “unintentional” but true to the “context of the conversation.”

And last year, when onetime communications director Anthony Scaramucci commended the president’s ability to sink “three-foot putts” while golfing, the White House transcript conveniently edited his remarks to commend Trump’s “30-foot putts.”