Does everyone remember how Joe Biden promised “transparency” in his administration on Day One? Then how come a FOIA request had to be submitted in order for the general public to learn the truth about Joe Biden’s dog, Commander, and the number of times he bit people?

Journalist John Greenewald submitted a FOIA request the day after the news broke that Commander was being removed from the White House, following in the footsteps of previous First Dog Major, after repeated biting incidents involving the Secret Service. Initially, the news reports at the time mentioned eleven biting incidents that varied in severity, but it was pretty apparent that the reported number wasn’t accurate.

The truth revealed by the FOIA? At least TWENTY-FOUR incidents, recorded in 273 PAGES of documents released via the FOIA. And some were BAD.

Fuckin hell. https://t.co/ppiiAmwoiA pic.twitter.com/EXYgPXsLgm

— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) February 21, 2024

And it’s not just the bites. The FOIA also reveals some near misses, including one on October 26, 2022 (recorded on page 13), when Jill Biden had Commander on a leash and the dog lunged to bite – but missed, and then Jill managed to get control of the dog. But because no one was bitten, it technically doesn’t count! But the bites that required medical attention were usually bad ones.

In another newly revealed attack, on June 15, 2023, Commander bit an agent “inside of the Kennedy Garden” adjacent to the East Wing, where the first lady’s office is located, as they were walking to the driveway to help move parked trucks.

“Video of the incident shows [the agent] enter the Kennedy Garden while Commander, who was off the leash and on the opposite side of the garden at the time, run at a high rate of speed towards [the agent and] jump towards [the agent] and take [them] to the ground,” a report says.

The agent “sustained an injury to [their] left arm (‘deep bite’) that reportedly needed stitches.”

“East Wing Tours were stopped for approximately 20 minutes due to blood from the incident being on the floors in the area of the [lobby connecting the East Wing to the White House],” the document says.

The above attack was recorded on page 192. We also now know from the FOIA documents that both Joe and Jill Biden were aware that Commander was aggressive.

A Secret Service agent wrote in an email that on Oct. 2, 2022, “I was bit/grabbed on the left forearm” by Commander while holding open the door for the president as he entered the White House near the iconic West Wing Colonnade.

“Commander came in first circled back and grabbed my arm left arm. He then stood up and back down. He is literally my height standing. POTUS entered shortly after since he was trailin behind him. POTUS entered the Palm Room and said,'[redacted quote]’,” the agent wrote, adding that they were evaluated by White House medical staff and the bite didn’t break the skin.

“I was in shock that the incident occurred. After this I was concerned about [Commander] getting out of the residence or being out without a leash for others safety and mine.”

The above email is from page 17. Joe Biden’s redacted comment looks to be about the length of a short sentence. Who wants to lay odds on a profanity being involved?

Jill Biden got her own redacted comment on July 29, 2023, which was recorded in emails on page 266.

“[The agent] heard the voice of what [he/she] believes to be FLOTUS Dr. Jill Biden yelling ‘[redacted quote].’ Commander ran towards the direction of post [redacted] booth and bit [the agent] in the left forearm, [c]ausing a severe deep open wound,” an incident report said.

“As [a] result of the attack [the agent] started to loose [sic] a significant amount of blood from [redacted pronoun] arm. [The agent] remained calm and walked away from the area looking for help. … [The agent] received six (6) stitches in the left hand forearm and antibiotics for the wound.”

Although documents say that the agent served out their shift after receiving stitches on site, an email from July 29 said that they were “enroute [sic] to the hospital at this time.”

The Secret Service agent who was attacked on July 29th got a later email that says: “The boys in CSU OPS put together a small care package for you with some Advil, antibiotic cream, pepper spray, a muzzle, and some dog biscuits for safety purposes.” The gallows humor about the entire situation got to the point that an email between Secret Service agents notes when one of their “incidents” was reported on Fox News (page 261).

Joe and Jill Biden are indisputably bad dog owners. We know this because, despite knowing that Commander was aggressive, they were constantly letting him off leash to roam the White House grounds. This is reflected in a May 23, 2023 email on page 24:

Just for situational awareness. It seems that we’re back to the K9 being let off leash to roam the grounds freely.

Tonight we had the team on the roadway for the evening sweep when [redacted] brought the dog out. K9 ran directly south and bounced between us techs. Though no one was bitten it’s just a matter of time before it happens.

It’s little wonder that there were concerns that there could be legal liability over “hostile work environment” issues with Commander around.

The problems with Commander had become so well-known and widespread throughout the entire White House security detail that by June 14, 2023, an email went out to multiple divisions asking for everyone to check in regarding whether or not they had ever been bitten by the dog. The email is on page 32, followed by the first of many spreadsheets on page 33, listing off the “who, what, when, and where” of Commander’s attacks, and whether medical attention had been required. A Department of Labor form for “Federal Employee’s Notice of Traumatic Injury and Claim for Continuation of Pay/Compensation” regarding the attack on April 12, 2023, made it into the FOIA documents on pages 18 and 19. But the singularly most damning email comes from an Assistant Special Agent In Charge (whose name is redacted) and appears on page 200, dated June 29, 2023. It reads, in part:

The recent dog bites have challenged us to adjust our operational tactics when Commander is present — please give lots of room (staying a terrain feature away if possible). We will continue to keep [redacted] in our sight but must be creative to ensure our own personal safety. The senior leaders of the detail and agency continue to address the issue at higher levels with staff and First Family — working to have a better solution soon. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

While we don’t know who the redacted name is, it isn’t hard to guess that it was either Joe or Jill. The entire job of the Secret Service is to guard the president and any other of their designated people. What this email says is that Commander had become so reactive and aggressive to Secret Service agents that they were unable to actually DO THEIR JOB without being targeted by the dog.

It is now being reported that Commander has been officially “given up” by the Bidens.

A source close to the Biden family told DailyMail.com the president and first lady are ‘heartbroken’ and ‘feel awful’ about the incidents.

They have apologized to those involved and taken flowers to some.

‘Commander was over-protective, and even though they tried and tried to work on it, they had to let him go live with other members of their family,’ the source added.

Elizabeth Alexander, a spokesperson for Jill Biden, told DailyMail.com: ‘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.

‘Despite additional dog training, leashing, working with veterinarians, and consulting with animal behaviorists, the White House environment simply proved too much for Commander. Since the fall, he has lived with other family members.”

Why announce the news that Commander has been rehomed late on February 21st, months after the dog left the White House? Well, that would be because the cover letter responding to Greenewald’s FOIA request is dated February 20th. The White House knew how these emails would look, and how poorly they would reflect on the Bidens as dog owners. So they made sure to announce the “news” that Commander has a new home now, in order to keep the White House from being asked any more awkward questions about the dog. Gotta love that transparency.

One thing is certain – there will never be another Biden family dog in the White House again. If Team Biden is concerned about Joe falling over or tripping, then there is no way that a dog can be part of his daily life again – especially not another German Shepherd puppy. Joe Biden’s physical health has declined so much that he can no longer keep up with an active dog. And considering how badly the last two dogs were handled, along with abuse allegations, that really is for the best.

But this entire incident is an unforced error for a White House that simply has no interest in living up to their supposed “transparency standards” in something fairly low-stakes. It’s not like we want to know who brought cocaine into the White House or anything. Maybe the Secret Service were too busy avoiding Commander to do their jobs thouroughly last summer. Who knows?

Perhaps Commander and Major are living together now, well out of sight and out of mind for Joe. Any other dogs, involved in this many attacks, would have been put down long ago. Here is hoping that both dogs are now getting the training and help they need.

Featured image: stock image of German Shepherd via Ralphs_Fotos on Pixabay, cropped, Pixabay license