President Joe Biden’s dog, Commander, has reportedly bitten another Secret Service agent — the 11th known incident.
The latest biting incident involving the two-year-old German Shepherd was confirmed on Tuesday when United States Secret Service (USSS) chief of communications Anthony Guglielmi told CNN that it occurred.
“Yesterday around 8 p.m., a Secret Service Uniformed Division police officer came in contact with a First Family pet and was bitten. The officer was treated by medical personnel on the complex,” the statement said.
Guglielmi said that the agent has been doing well after he spoke with Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle.
The Secret Service agents do not handle the first family’s pets, but they do often come in contact with the animals. Former USSS agent Jonathan Wackrow told CNN that the president has essentially created a workplace hazard.
“This isn’t a Secret Service thing. This is a workplace safety issue,” Wackrow told CNN.
“There’s uniqueness here where it’s the residence of the president of the United States, but it’s also the workplace for hundreds, thousands of people. And you can’t bring a hazard into the workplace. And that’s what is essentially happening with this dog. One time you can say it’s an accident, but now multiple incidents, it’s a serious issue,” he added.
President Joe Biden’s dog Commander looks out from the balcony during a pardoning ceremony for the national Thanksgiving turkeys at the White House in Washington, Nov. 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
“I’m sure that the Bidens love the dog. I’m sure that it’s a member of the family like every dog is, but you’re creating a significant hazard to those who support you – support the office of the president,” he concluded.
In 2021, reports surfaced that the president’s then-dog Major (also a German Shepherd) had been involved in two serious biting incidents. One year later, several Secret Service agents claimed that the White House lied about the incidents to minimize the impact.
Released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by Judicial Watch, the documents revealed that the Secret Service attempted to downplay events and even reprimanded one of the agents for detailing the attack, fearing it would upset the Biden family. In March 2021, White House press secretary Jen Psaki claimed that one dog attack occurred after Major was “surprised by an unfamiliar person.”
“The first family’s younger dog, Major, was surprised by an unfamiliar person and reacted in a way that resulted in a minor injury to the individual,” Psaki acknowledged at the time.
According to the unsealed documents, the bite occurred after the dog bit agents over eight consecutive days and the injuries were “severe” rather than minor.
“NO I didn’t surprise the dog doing my job by being at [redacted] as the press secretary just said! Now I’m pissed,” the agent reportedly wrote to a co-worker. The co-worker replied, “SMH. .. hope you didn’t get hurt to [sic] bad.”
The Bidens’ dogs Champ (R) and Major are seen on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on March 31, 2021. (Mandel Ngan/ AFP)
Another message from a Secret Service employee referenced the bite, explaining that the “injury cannot be described in any other term than ‘severe.’”
The heavily redacted incident report said that the bite occurred at 7:00 a.m. in the White House residential area on the second floor near first lady Jill Biden’s office.
Without warning or provocation, Major barked loudly at [the agent] … and charged,” the report said. “Having no time to seek cover from the attack, [the agent] turned away from the dog as he bit into [redacted] right leg.”
David Cho, President Biden’s then-chief protective agent, wrote in an email later that day: “Major bit one of the agents this morning. The agent is ok, but does have bruising and a puncture.”
The agent was reportedly bitten by Major a second time. Photos of the injuries were redacted in the report except for one that showed the agent’s torn wool overcoat.
Major was later sent to live with friends in Delaware, and the president adopted Commander. As Breitbart News reported, Commander had as many as ten biting incidents between October 2022 and January 2023.
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden look at their new dog Commander at the White House on December 25, 2021. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
One incident involving the dog reportedly required a hospital visit for the Secret Service agent, according to records from the Department of Homeland Security that were released following a FOIA request by the conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch.
Paul Roland Bois joined Breitbart News in 2021. He also directed the award-winning feature film, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed for FREE on YouTube or Tubi. A high-quality, ad-free stream can also be purchased on Google Play or Vimeo on Demand. Follow him on Twitter @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.
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