Biden’s Dog Banned From White House After Numerous Incidents
President Joe Biden’s dog, Commander, has been banned from the White House after he was involved in at least 11 recorded biting incidents. The Biden administration is currently evaluating the “next steps” for Commander.
The German Shepherd’s last biting incident happened near the end of September.
First Lady Jill Biden’s communications director Elizabeth Alexander released a statement following the decision to remove Commander from the White House.
“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 the U.S. Secret Service and all involved, as they continue to work through solutions,” the statement read.
“Commander is not presently on the White House campus while next steps are evaluated,” the statement continued.
Meanwhile, CNN reported that there have been many more biting incidents not recorded — noting that while there were 11 incidents that the public has been made aware of, “the real number is higher and includes executive residence staff and other White House workers.”
One of the biting incidents that took place in November 2022 was reportedly so serious that a Secret Service officer was referred to the hospital by the White House physician’s office, as Commander had bitten their arm and thigh.
Former Secret Service agent Jonathan Wackrow, who was previously assigned to protect former First Lady Michelle Obama, has spoken out about the dog’s issues — accusing the president of “creating an unsafe work environment.”
“Imagine you’re the owner of a business, a CEO of a company, you bring your dog in, and your dog keeps biting employees. You’re creating an unsafe work environment. And that’s what’s happening now,” Wackrow explained in a statement to 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, if not thousands, of people. And you can’t bring a hazard into the workplace and that’s what is essentially happening with this dog,” the statement read. “One time, you can say it’s an accident, but now multiple incidents is a serious issue.”
According to Axios, White House staff are terrified of both Commander and Biden’s younger dog, Major. The outlet noted that “several dozen people who maintain the White House as housekeepers, curators, chefs, butlers, carpenters, and more — have been fearful.”
Commander is the second Biden family dog to be banned from the White House, as Major was previously sent to the president’s Delaware home because of his aggressive behavior and biting issues.
Meanwhile, Biden has defended his dogs despite their history of attacking his staff — describing Major as a “sweet dog” and claiming that “85% of the people there love him” while speaking with reporters after a Secret Service agent was bitten by Major in 2021.
Critics of the president have begun arguing that the behavior of his dogs reflects poorly on his “parenting skills.”
Beyond his ability to correctly train his dogs, Biden has also been accused of physically harming his dogs. Citing Judicial Watch sources, reporter Paul Sperry asserted that there have been multiple instances of Biden punching and kicking his dogs.
