Commander Biden, like Major Biden before him, has been removed from the White House following reports that the German Shepherd was biting multiple Secret Service agents. Curiously enough, West Wing staffers, who said they love the dog and described him as friendly and happy to be pet, never seemed to have a problem with him.
CNN said last week that the two-year-old dog bit another agent, in what was the 11th known incident of aggression (but not all aggressions were bites). The first 10 incidents became public in July after the conservative group Judicial Watch obtained Secret Service emails through Freedom of Information Act requests.
The Washington Post reported Thursday that Commander had been “banished” from the White House. The first lady’s communications director, Elizabeth Alexander, said in a statement that “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...They remain grateful for the patience and support” of those involved. Alexander added, “Commander is not presently on the White House campus while next steps are evaluated.”
She did not elaborate on where the dog was sent, but the Bidens’ previous dog, Major, is now living with family friends. (Biden’s brother, James, gave him Commander as a birthday gift after Major’s departure in 2021, and a person close to the Bidens told Politico the couple didn’t feel like they could turn down the gift.)
Some current and former White House staff speculated to Politico on Monday that Commander simply doesn’t like the Secret Service agents, who were described as “enormous men with guns acting suspiciously hostile everywhere.” That’s a stark contrast to the staffers who said they smile at the dog, give him ear scritches, and, presumably, talk to him in cooing baby voices...and have never been bit.
I can’t say I blame Commander for apparently not trusting these agents. A recent book even revealed that Biden was concerned that some agents were “MAGA sympathizers” who had some questionable behavior on January 6, plus, Biden didn’t believe the stories Secret Service agents told about Major.
Staffers told Politico that, despite their positive interactions with him, they still assumed the dog would be leaving soon, probably before Thanksgiving. He didn’t even make it that long, but if I were in charge, I would have implemented a remedial plan for the Secret Service agents first. You know what you did.