The Obama administration has been taking a lot of heat for skipping out on the Paris March, while leaders from around the world walked arm in arm in support of France. And the international outrage stemmed not only from the fact that Obama was a no-show, despite a clear schedule, but that he didn’t even bother to send someone from his administration in his place. Biden didn’t attend, Kerry didn’t attend, and even though Eric Holder was in Paris, he didn’t bother to show up, either. Adding to the furor was that Obama was somehow able to find time to meet the San Antonio Spurs in the White House the very next day.

So the White House scrambled to find an acceptable excuse: they cited security concerns. It was just too dangerous to send Lord Obama to Paris, even though it was somehow safe enough for Benjamin Netanyahu and countless other leaders. Except now even that narrative has been blown to bits: the Secret Service was never even asked about necessary precautions to get Obama to Paris.