If there’s one thing about the Biden family that’s indicative of how little they care about those required to help them and be around them, it’s that Major, one of the Bidens’ German Shepherds, was aggressive toward White House staff, biting them in addition to Secret Service agents, and Biden let Major stay around regardless of that biting.
News on that came from Axios earlier in October, with that D.C.-focused publication reporting that Major, now exiled to the family’s Deleware home, was so aggressive that the First Lady’s office had to be warned that the president and Dr. Jill could face a lawsuit over injuries he was causing unless something was done about his behavior.
Further, Axios reported that the scope of the program was large enough that dozens of members of the White House staff, everyone from housekeepers to carpenters, curators to chefs, were fearful of both Major and Commander. Commander was kept around, despite the biting incidents, until recently, whereas Major had to be gotten rid of more quickly.
And in addition to the scope of the issues caused by the dogs’ behavior being problematic, Axios reports that some of their bites were so severe that they had to be treated by the White House medical unit and that Major would jump on and scratch antique doors in the executive mansion. One bite from Commander was so severe that a Secret Service officer was sent to the hospital by bites to the arm and thig.
Even more problematic was that the Biden family continued to make excuses for and keep the dogs around despite the threat they posed to staff members and Secret Service agents. For example, when the Daily Mail published a picture of Commander biting Dale Haney, the White House grounds superintendent, Dr. Jill Biden’s communications director claimed the incident was no big deal.
Speaking to Axios about the incident, that communications director, Elizabeth Alexander said, “We spoke to Dale about the picture, and he said that Commander was being playful, and there was no bite, no pressure of teeth on his skin, no mark — just some dog slobber.”
That unhelpful attitude was apparently common. According to Axios, a former White House official said, “The first family and their inner circle refuse to engage in any problem-solving discussions to protect the agents and [Executive Residence] staff.”
Axios also quoted a Biden official as saying, “The ongoing discipline issue of the Biden dogs is in no way a Secret Service problem. The agency is just trying to protect their own agents from these animals who do have violent behaviors.”
Others inside the White House pushed back on the idea that Major and Commander were dangers and that the Bidens were unhelpful. Alexander, for her part, 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.”
Another official claimed, “The White House is chaotic and really stressful for pets — everyone knows this and have been trying to work through how to make things better and safer for everyone. To say that they and their ‘inner circle’ aren’t working on this or are refusing to engage is just not true.” That official continued, “They’ve been working diligently with Secret Service, with trainers, with veterinarians, with the residence staff and others on this — they have been taking this very seriously, and for months.”
Featured image credit: By The White House – P20210125AS-0779, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=99605359
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