Was This Trip Really Necessary?

Isn’t it touching? You know, the outpouring of concern for the Secret Service agents who accompanied President Trump on yesterday’s outing in the presidential limo to wave to supporters outside of Walter Reed Medical Center? In this time when risk to law enforcement is shrugged off with comments like, “They knew the risk,” and “This is what they signed up for,” we’re supposed to believe that this newfound concern is sincere?

First of all, I don’t believe the actual risk was all that high. The agents escorting him were outfitted in full PPE, which would provide a much greater degree of protection than your cotton mask. There is also the capability to raise a partition between the front seat and passenger compartment of the vehicle…you know, like the barriers you trust to protect grocery store cashiers from your COVID cooties. And although the President’s SUV has the capability to be sealed against outside contaminants, this system can also be turned off and fresh air introduced into the vehicle…through an extremely capable filtration system. And still, the President could be seen wearing a cotton mask, just like you trust to keep the people around you safe. Everyone in that vehicle was much more well protected than you or I when we head out to the grocery store.

Then there’s the fact that agents assigned to close protection of the President are known to be extremely fit and healthy themselves, and thus among the lowest risk category when it comes to coronavirus infection. These are the people most likely to remain asymptomatic or experience only mild symptoms, even were the virus to find its way to the agents through all of the previously mentioned protections.

I know what you’re thinking. “But Dave,” you say, “even if the trip was very low risk, it was totally unnecessary! Taking any risk for something that frivolous is completely unacceptable!” Of course, the necessity of the outing is subjective, but the fact remains that the Secret Service has always been committed to the protection of the President, even at the risk of their own lives. Who isn’t aware of the reputation of the Secret Service’s willingness to “take a bullet” for the Chief Executive of the nation?

Secret Service Special Agent Tim McCarthy, taking a bullet from would-be assassin John Hinckley while protecting President Ronald Reagan.

Since the Secret Service is at risk every time the President goes out, what other excursions might be deemed to have put them in danger unnecessarily? Was this trip really necessary?

What about this one?

Or this one?

Or this one?

All of these trips exposed Secret Service agents to increased risk, but I don’t recall much outcry of concern for them during those outings. Why now, and not then? I think we all know the answer to that question.