The White House has scrubbed its website of transcripts from President Donald Trump’s speeches and appearances, hiding his lies, unhinged comments, and even moments when world leaders have rebuked his statements.
NBC News reports that while transcripts for some of Trump’s appearances were on the official White House website as recently as Sunday, they have been pulled due to a shift in the administration’s communications policy. Now, only videos of those moments are available and there is no accompanying transcript.
The transcripts of the remarks do exist, because official government stenographers are recording all of Trump’s public appearances—but the White House has chosen not to put them on the website. It is a dramatic change from the way the White House operated under former President Joe Biden, when even gaffes and remarks that caused controversy were published in black and white for the public and the world to read.
The removal of the Trump transcripts raises new questions about what the administration is trying to hide. Are the hidden transcripts meant to further tighten control over Trump’s image, even as mainstream media outlets decline to report stories that are critical of him? Or are there larger issues about Trump’s mental and physical health that the White House wants to obscure by keeping transcripts out of the public eye?
A look back at recent Trump appearances that are no longer available in transcript form reveals some unflattering moments that it appears the White House would like the world to forget about.
For instance, the White House website does not have the transcript of this odd moment from April, when Trump ranted about washing his hair while signing an executive order on water pressure.
TRUMP: In my case I like to take a nice shower—to take care of my beautiful hair. I like to stand under the shower for 15 minutes until it gets wet. It comes out drip, drip, drip—it’s ridiculous.
Another hidden transcript involves Trump pushing a fantasy in March that he “invaded Los Angeles” to turn on water there during wildfires.
TRUMP: I invaded Los Angeles, and we opened up the water and the water is now flowing down. They have so much water they don’t know what to do. They were sending it out to the Pacific for environmental reasons.
Trump promised during the 2024 campaign that he would reduce the cost of eggs on his first day in office, which did not happen. Trump went on in April to lie about eggs seeing a dramatic price drop—but the transcript is not on the White House website.
TRUMP: As you know, the cost of eggs has come down like 93, 94% since we took office and they’re pretty much normally priced now.
While meeting with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on May 15, Trump made a bizarre remark about the word “groceries” which can no longer be found on the White House website.
TRUMP: We have a term: groceries. It’s an old term but it means basically what you’re buying, food—it’s a pretty accurate term but it’s an old-fashioned sound—but groceries are down, costs are down, eggs are down, they were—first week they were hitting me with eggs were up 200% and now they’re down to a number that is amazing. They’re down 97 to 98% from where they were.
On Wednesday, Trump ambushed South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and gave a presentation on nonexistent “white genocide” in Africa. As part of that tirade, Trump flippeed through a series of web pages purporting to prove his point (they turned out to be fakes). The transcript of the encounter is not available on an official government website.
TRUMP: These are articles over the last few days. Death. Of people. Death. Death. Death. Horrible death. Death. I don’t know—I don’t think anyone—“White South Africans are fleeing because of the violence and racist laws.” And this is all, I mean I’ll give these to you. So when you say, “What would I like to do?” I don’t know what to do.
When recently elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited the White House in May, he told Trump to his face that the nation was not for sale, rebuking Trump’s argument that Canada should be annexed and become the U.S.’s 51st state. Those remarks are not on the White House site.
CARNEY: As you know from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale.
TRUMP: That’s true.
CARNEY: We’re sitting in one right now, you know Buckingham Palace, that you’ve visited as well.
TRUMP: That’s true.
CARNEY: And having met with the owners of Canada over the course of the campaign, last several months, it’s not for sale—won’t be for sale ever.
The transcript omissions make it clear that the White House wants to hide as much of Trump as possible and protect him from scrutiny.
By keeping this information offline, the real Trump is obscured. Americans have already made it clear they don’t like what makes it past the White House filter—meaning things would probably be much worse if his bizarre ramblings were on full display.