News came out earlier this week that Commander, the Biden's German Shepherd, is no longer at the White House. He's supposedly bitten 12 people, but it turns out the number is reportedly higher. We don't have an official number. Anonymous White House employees came forward to share with CNN how scared they were. It's led to a "combustible" relationship between the Bidens and Secret Service, made worse by "last minute changes" to the schedule and "unrealistic requests." White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, however, didn't seem too bothered by the situation.
During Thursday's press briefing, Jean-Pierre was asked by a reporter "did you ever have a troubling encounter with Commander?" Not only did Jean-Pierre emphasize in so many ways that she did not, and he had never nipped at or bitten her, and she was never "wary" around the dog, she also at one pointed laughed, wonder "I’m not sure why this has to do anything with me."
Jean-Pierre also mentioned a statement from Elizabeth Alexander, the communications director at the First Lady's Office, which Matt also mentioned in his coverage. "And so, I will certainly leave it there," she said, though she still went on to again stress "but no, I--as it relates to me, I was never wary of--of Commander. I’ve seen him many, many times. And so, I--I can only speak for myself, though. And I can’t speak to any--anything else outside of 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 the U.S. Secret Service and all involved, as they continue to work through solutions. Commander is not presently on the White House campus while next steps are evaluated," the statement read.
The reporter followed up, though, pointing out that "I guess I’m surprised, I’ve been bitten by a dog," adding "if there was a dog that had bitten 11 or 12 other people, I’d be a little nervous around that dog. Why weren’t you?"
This is when Jean-Pierre laughed. "I mean--I’m not sure why this has to do anything with me. I was just not nervous at all. So, that is not a concern for me. That is not something that--I can’t speak to anything else outside of what you have heard from the First Lady’s Office. And so, I’ll just leave it there," she said.
Press sec. Karine Jean-Pierre says she was never bitten by Commander and was "not nervous" around the the first family’s German shepherd, who is no longer at the White House following a string of biting incidents. https://t.co/Uqh8WUo9tj pic.twitter.com/Pz8kB26Kl6
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) October 5, 2023
While Jean-Pierre laughed at the situation, claiming "I’m not sure why this has to do anything with me," she herself had admitted she spent a lot of time around the dog. She's also the White House press secretary.
Jean-Pierre had even less to say about the matter on Thursday, including when asked if there would be a lawsuit given how many times he's bitten people. The press secretary mostly stuck to how she would refer reporters to the First Lady's office or Secret Service. Commander has bitten many Secret Service agents in particular.
"How many times has [Commander] bitten the Bidens?"
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 4, 2023
KJP: "I would refer you to the Secret Service"
"It's the 12th known incident of this dog biting a White House staffer ... isn't the president worried about getting sued?"
KJP: "I would refer you to the Secret Service" pic.twitter.com/7yTzuKZ8rb
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