Throughout his presidency, Donald Trump was blasted by critics over his decision not to have a presidential pooch in the White House. He was the first president in over a century not to have a pet roaming the halls during his presidency, and he explained that he simply didn’t have the time to devote to a dog.
For Trump, adopting a dog for appearances was a “phony” political ploy. He explained, “I wouldn’t mind having one, honestly, but I don’t have any time.”
At least seven secret service members wish that the current president shared that view.
After being forced to rehome his dog Major following several biting incidents, Biden brought a new rescue German Shepherd to the White House. Unfortunately for those around him, Commander seems to share Major’s dislike of the secret service.
It’s been revealed recently that Commander has bitten seven secret service members in a four-month span, and some of the incidents were significant enough to warrant a visit to the hospital.
The most serious incident involved two bites that sent the member to the emergency room, per emails released to Judicial Watch under the Freedom of Information Act.
Other incidents involved a skin-breaking bite to a secret service member during a family movie night and a bite to the back of a security technician in Biden’s Delaware residence.
It’s a situation that, per Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton, raises “fundamental questions about Joe Biden and the Secret Service.”
“This is a special sort of craziness and corruption where a president would allow his dog to repeatedly attack and bite Secret Service and White House personnel,” Fitton says. “And rather than protect its agents, the Secret Service tried to illegally hide documents about the abuse of its agents and officers by the Biden family.”
To add insult to dog-bite injury, Biden refused to believe reports that his prior dog, Major, bit a secret service member in the leg.
Commander, the crazed canine, attacked a secret service officer as he was sitting at the bottom of a White House stairwell. The dog reportedly walked down the stairs and, unprovoked, bit the officer. Officers were forced to use a steel cart to fend the dog off from continuing the attack.
In a separate incident, first lady Jill Biden was walking Commander in the Kennedy Garden on the White House grounds when the pup turned on a Secret Service Uniformed Division officer, biting him in the thigh.
Another incident found officers using a chair to fend off an irate Commander. Still another officer was bitten in December of 2022, and yet another a few days before Christmas that same year.
While the reports start in October of 2022 with Commander biting an emergency response technician in the arm, it’s not clear how many incidents occurred prior to the first report. In October alone, Commander had three aggressive incidents against secret service members and staff. During one incident, an unnamed uniformed officer reported, “Commander has been exhibiting extremely aggressive behavior. Today, while posted, he came charging at me. The First Lady couldn’t regain control of commander [sic], and he continued to circle me. I believe it’s only a matter of time before an agent/officer is attacked or bit.”
The incidents were frequent enough to prompt internal warnings among the Secret Service. In that same report, the officer adds, “He would have bit me today if I didn’t step towards him a couple of different times. It was bad enough that the agent on the detail asked if I got bit – just so you’re aware.”
During a follow-up email exchange between secret service members, an injured officer noted, “My leg and arm still hurts. He bit me twice and ran at me twice.” He went on to add in frustration, “What a joke… if it wasn’t their dog he would already have been put down – freaking clown needs a muzzle.”
Biden’s refusal to rehome the obviously overwhelmed pup is most like because of optics. It’s not a good look to have to rehome a second presidential pooch, and for the same reasons, the first was sent away.
No one wants to see anything happen to Commander, who was obviously not properly vetted to face the chaos and confusion that comes with being in the White House. But Biden should take responsibility and send the poor pup to a home that is better suited for his fearful and unpredictable temperament.
On the surface, the administration is hiding a bothersome story about an aggressive dog to remove further unwanted attention from the president. The story doesn’t affect the average American in any way, and there’s no pressing need for the canine’s antics to be widely publicized.
But a deeper look reveals that it’s just another example of a president who can’t be bothered to protect his people or the nation he represents.
