Secret Service Shakes Up Presidential Detail Amid Fears Some Agents Aligned With Trump

[PSPS]

Source: Slate

Secret Service Shakes Up Presidential Detail Amid Fears Some Agents Aligned With Trump
Daniel Politi

The Secret Service will be changing up the agents who are in the presidential detail to protect President-elect Joe Biden. Even though it isn’t rare for agents to change when a new president arrives, this time the shake-up is taking place amid suspicion that some agents are politically aligned with President Donald Trump, reports the Washington Post. To allay any concerns, the Secret Service will be bringing back some of the senior agents whom Biden already knows from his time as vice president.

Several recent incidents have led to questions about the political leanings of agents on the presidential detail. Some, for example, urged agents and Secret Service officers not to wear masks on presidential trips because the president saw them as a sign of weakness. That may have contributed to the way in which more than 130 Secret Service officers either tested positive for the coronavirus or were forced to quarantine because they were in close contact with someone who contracted COVID-19.

In a particularly telling detail of how much at least some agents are aligned with Trump, the previous head of the presidential detail, Anthony Ornato, became White House deputy chief of staff earlier this year. He was key to organizing the photo-op in June in which peaceful protesters were violently cleared out of Lafayette Square so the president could get a photo posing with a Bible. Ornato is now set to return to the Secret Service, although he won’t be involved in protecting the president.

The Secret Service declined to comment on staffing changes but insisted that it is committed to being apolitical. “The U.S. Secret Service is uniquely authorized to provide protection to designated U.S. and other world leaders and remains steadfastly dedicated to a standard of excellence in those operations, wholly apolitically and unaffiliated with the political parties of protectees,” spokeswoman Catherine Milhoan said. “As a matter of practice and due to operational security, the agency does not comment on protective operations inclusive of internal decisions on agency assignments. ”


Read more: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/12/secret-service-changes-presidential-detail-aligned-trump.html

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Short article. No more at link.

[Thekaspervote]

1. Stupidity abounds!!

[packman]

2. Christ awmighty - Rome emperors with their Praetorian guard

Defending and selecting the next in line

Scary shit

[Bleacher Creature]

3. There's no way in hell that he doesn't treat them like garbage.

And we already kind of know that after his forced COVID-19 joyride in October.

This is just mind-boggling.

[Bradshaw3]

4. He exposes them to the virus and yet ...

They still follow him. Just another sad story in a long line of them. This story says a lot about where we are, unfortunately.

[NickB79]

5. I wouldn't put it past one of them to take a shot at the President if given the chance

If they're so deeply brain-washed by the far right.

What a clusterfuck.

[Joinfortmill]

6. Trump corrupts everything

[Lars39]

8. If this is true they need to be fired.

[niyad]

9. If the SS is indeed "apolitical", then how in the f'n HELL is that ass ornato going back??

"Apolitical" he clearly is NOT. He should not be allowed anywhere near President Biden or VP Harris, if even allowed back. Alaska, maybe?

One used to think that one had to be smart and truly dedicated to be secret service. Or have standards gotten that low in the last four years?

[Hekate]

11. Exactly

[Talitha]

19. Put him on yard detail cleaning up after Champ and Major.

[Hekate]

10. Very good news. So 130 agents tested positive for COVID19 because "some" pandered to Trump...

...and told the others it would look “weak” to mask up. I think “some” agents should be nowhere near the Bidens and Kamala — and should probably find a new career.

[ffr]

13. +1

Vet them. Their loyalty should be to protecting the president, no matter who the president is. If they feel so strongly about aligning themselves with T----, then they should ask to be in his detail before he's taken away to prison. They can join him there if they like.

[ffr]

12. T----'s secret police. What could go wrong?

[Bayard]

14. What the hell is it with these people?

Just read that a third of Representatives are going to vote against certifying President Biden.

I don't get it. I just don't get it. What kind of a spell does he put on all of them? Is it just that the assholes of the country have united?

[hadEnuf]

18. I think your last sentence explains it all quite well.

Most Trump supporters are assholes anyway, with or without Trump. Difference is they now have bullhorns and an idol to bow down to.

Trump is the king of the assholes.

[Rebl2]

15. Those

that align with trump should be fired since they can’t be trusted to protect Biden and Harris.

[gibraltar72]

16. Doom them to follow that worthless prick for the rest of his days.

[Aussie105]

17. Not too long ago

in a different country . . . a security detail guy calmly took out his fire arm, walked up behind the person he was there to protect, and blew his brains out.

Can't happen in America, right?

Make sure it doesn't!

For your perusal:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_assassinations

[colorado_ufo]

24. The Wikipedia left out India and

Indira Gandhi, who, if memory serves, was assassinated by her Sikh security guards. And of course Mahatma Gandhi.

The long list needs even more updating.

[yardwork]

27. It's there. Click on India.

[colorado_ufo]

31. Thankd!

I managed to miss an entire subcontinent! Definitely need new reading glasses.

[yardwork]

32. It was a little difficult to navigate!

[keithbvadu2]

20. During Bill Clinton's time in office, the right wingers loved to claim that the Marines disrespecte

During Bill Clinton's time in office, the right wingers loved to claim that the Marines disrespected him with sloppy salutes and comments under their breath. The upper echelon of Marines came out specifically and said their Marines were professionals and acted it no matter what they might think personally.

[Takket]

21. are you KIDDING ME???????????????

How could ANYONE support that IDIOT after he put all their lives in danger for that ABSURD limo stunt at Walter Reed???????????? WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THIS COUNTRY?????????????

[paleotn]

22. Anthony Ornato

needs to be canned at 12:00:01 PM January 20.

[BigmanPigman]

28. Ditto!

[DrToast]

23. This is terrifying

[stevesinpa]

25. any secret service agent that is aligned with any politician

needs to be immediately removed. especially when that politician attempted a coup against our government, our election system and our president-elect.
and any agent that left the service to work in an administration should never been permitted back into the service. let alone the fact that the administration he worked for was so corrupt and treasonous.

[myohmy2]

26. "...wholly apolitically and unaffiliated with the political parties of protectees,..."

...impossible...

...in this fascist era of trump there is no middle unless you're brain dead...

...and I wouldn't trust anyone pretending to be apolitical...

...either way, get their people out and put our people in...

...safety first...

[orangecrush]

29. Everything Trump touches

Turns to shit.

[twodogsbarking]

30. It may be a good thing that the Secret Service

will be following Trump around the rest of his life.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

33. K&R