President Joe Biden reportedly watched his German shepherd Commander bite Secret Service members, according to a trove of incident reports.
Biden's dogs became the bane of the Secret Service and others in the White House. Commander, Biden's second dog since he became president, was given away in February. Biden’s first dog while president, Major, was rehomed in 2021. Both dogs attacked Secret Service agents on multiple occasions.
Conservative think-tank Judicial Watch managed to obtain the Secret Service incident logs through a Freedom of Information Act request, but only after suing the Department of Homeland Security for access.
The records show Biden was present for at least two of Commander's attacks on Secret Service agents.
In an incident on September 12, 2023, a Secret Service agent accompanied Biden to the Kennedy Garden for his evening walk. At one point the agent approached the president to check to see if he needed help, but an unleashed Commander "ran through [Biden's] legs and bit my left arm through the front of my jacket."
Biden intervened and yelled at the dog, and —based on the context of the account — asked the agent to pet the dog, presumably in an effort to acclimate the animal to the agents. Unfortunately, even after getting a pet, Commander still hadn't had enough.
"I obliged and Commander let me pet him. When turning to close the door, Commander jumped again and bit my left arm for the second time. POTUS again yelled at Commander and attached the leash to him," the agent wrote in an email.
Included with the email were photos of the agent's blue suit showing the holes where Commander bit them, accoridng to the docs obtained by Judicial Watch. The agent said the dog ripped three holes in their suit, but that the dog did not break their skin.
An email sent between Secret Service agents two days later detailed another Commander attack with another photo of suit damage and a "damage to personal property" form.
The incident discussed in the email occurred on May 12, 2021, and includes a $943 request for a new suit.
“Through no fault or negligence of my own, the coat was torn by a dog bite,” the agent writes in the email.
Another email on September 25 included one agent warning colleagues that "there was a dog bite and the officer may need to go to the hospital."
"Have a safe shift!" the agent said.
Agents became insistent that Commander be muzzled after an attack in late September made headlines.
"Heads up and FYI. TMZ just reported a dog bite at the White House! Can we please find a way to get this dog muzzled,” one agent wrote a group of colleagues.
While some are shocked that TMZ knew about the attack before they did, others agreed that they "must get this dog muzzled."
The Biden family acknowledged the "patience" shown by the Secret Service in a statement made by the frst lady's communication director shortly after Commander was removed from the White House.
“They [the president and first lady] remain grateful for the patience and support of the US Secret Service and all involved, as they continue to work through solutions," the statement said. “The President and first lady care deeply about the safety of those who work at the White House and those who protect them every day.”
