Secret Service Agents Are Fuming Over The Former First Dog, Major

Not everyone is happy dogs are back in the White House. When President Joe Biden and his family moved into the presidential home in January 2021, they brought their two German Shepherds, Champ and Major, with them, The Guardian reports. However Major, a three-year-old rescue, didn't acclimate as well as Champ did.

At the end of March 2021, CNN broke the news that Major bit someone on White House property — his second biting incident of the month. At the time, First Lady Jill Biden's press secretary admitted that Major was "still adjusting to his new surroundings" after admitting that Major "nipped someone on a walk." The person, a National Park Service employee, had to be examined by the White House medical unit, something at the time was explained only done out of an "abundance of caution."

After the first incident, Major had been sent away for two weeks of training meant to help him adjust to life at the White House. The first incident had involved a Secret Service agent who also ended up needing medical attention. This was explained as Major's response to meeting an unfamiliar person by the White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, who also said the secret service agent's injuries were "minor."

Major has since been sent to live back in Delaware in what The Guardian called a "quieter environment with friends." This should have been the end of news about Major, but following a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request made by the Judicial Watch, Major's incidents are back in the spotlight (via The Independent).

It appears the White House went to great lengths to downplay Major's behavior during his time at the residence.

The official story was that there were only two incidents involving Major injuring someone on White House property. But, according to the New York Post, there was a week when Major bit different Secret Service agents daily — incidents that, as the Judicial Watch discovered, were reportedly minimized or not reported. One agent's incident report was allegedly denied for being too specific, out of fears it would upset the Bidens, per the Daily Mail.

It was on the eighth day of incidents that the White House made an announcement about an incident between Major and an agent, but they only acknowledged one event. Press secretary Jen Psaki explained it happened because Major ran into someone he didn't know (via CNN). Psaki also said at the time that it had been the first incident, not the eighth, which only angered agents more.

According to the reports obtained by the Judicial Watch, Major had been with First Lady Jill Biden in the residence area of the White House when he started barking at a Secret Service agent. Major charged and bit the agent in the leg. The Daily Mail reported this wasn't the only run-in this agent had with the dog, either. He was bitten a second time, though there are no details about the specific date the second biting took place.

There aren't any details about the specific date of the second incident with the Secret Service agent, but the Judicial Watch did obtain details about what allegedly happened.

According to the Daily Mail, the agent who had been bitten by Major a second time didn't file an incident report. However, they did file a claim for reimbursement for having to replace his $500 coat. In his claim, the agent wrote that: "This fault occurred through no fault of my own and I could not avoid this unusual circumstance due to the nature and requirements of my position." In a part of the report obtained by the The Independent, the agent also allegedly wrote, "The responsibility should lie with the party responsible for the wrongdoing (i.e. tort), and that of course would be the dog owner/s."

This claim was reportedly rejected for having too many details, and the agent was told to resubmit the claim only using "language that has been approved by [the legal office]," per the Daily Mail. The agent ultimately removed his claim because the jacket reimbursement would've been paid out using taxpayer money.

Beyond the jacket incident, however, the Freedom of Information Act request also revealed agents had been left injured by bites from Major. There are even claims Major would chase people, per The Independent.

Based on information released by the Judicial Watch, President Biden's dog, Major, is still having issues with Secret Service agents despite being back at the family's residence in Wilmington, Delaware, according to the Daily Mail. As recent as February 28, 2022, two different agents were injured by Major, and bruises from the attack were still visible a week later.

But the Secret Service agents probably aren't surprised at how these incidents are being handled. The original agent who reported being injured sent an email sharing that he felt "the Secret Service management seemed more concerned about managing press relations than taking care of its agents,"

This wasn't the only time this agent expressed displeasure with how Major's biting was handled, either. As reported by the New York Post, that agent sent an email to a co-worker explaining that the incident was nothing close to what Jen Psaki told people during a briefing. The agent claims not only did they do nothing to provoke Major, but the injuries they sustained were severe. It appeared to deeply anger the agent.

The agent brings up a good point: For people in charge of keeping the president and his family safe, you'd think their safety would be a priority, too. Even if it means being protected from the president's own dog.