Now we might know why Pence wouldn’t get in the car
The supposed “data migration” at the Secret Service is mind boggling. Just by mere happenstance, and despite “preservation of records” orders, they just happened to delete “those” messages. And not keep backups. Sorry. All gone. My, how embarrassing.
This one doesn’t pass the laugh test. This seems like the Secret Service’s Rosemary Woods moment. The Secret Service is in a serious credibility crisis, which traces its way back to Trump.
We already saw how Trump corrupted the White House medical office with that absurd performance by a previously reputable senior naval officer and medical professional. 235 pounds. Superb health. Might live to 200 if he took care of himself. Secret Service, you’re next.
What makes men (and some women) take a 30-year effort to build a good reputation and throw it all away? For a man they hold in utter contempt. Who they know will turn on them in a second if it’s expedient. The mob expected total loyalty from its foot soldiers, but it also gave loyalty. Keep your mouth shut, do your time, we’ll take care of your family. Seriously, what explains Bill Barr? Or, before him, John Kelly? Jim Mattis? John Bolton? Dr. Deborah Birx? These men (and a woman) were at the top of their fields, highly regarded in some circles. And they made it clear they considered Trump an unprincipled idiot. And still, a 30-year career and good reputation, wadded up in a ball and thrown away.
It’s now evident that the Secret Service is an institutional version of these corrupt and corrupted individuals; the agency was corrupted from top to bottom. How to put this delicately, the path to professional shame was much shorter for the Secret Service than for highly respected 4-star generals: The agency was already tarnished by reports of heavy partying by presidential details during foreign travel and numerous security breaches at the White House. But in the presidential protection unit, it appears large portions of the workforce got on their knee and offered Trump not just a professional protection detail but their complete loyalty and fealty. And now, we’re not talking about destroying an individual reputation but rather an entire agency. An agency that until recently had as good a reputation as any.
Rather than professionals who stood off in the corner, observing everyone, the Secret Service joined the team. This is a big deal; the most notable characteristic of this agency always was its non-political professionalism. Most grotesque and winner of the “have your cake and eat it too” award was Tony Ornato, who joined the Trump White House as Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations while still being allowed to hold on to his Secret Service “career” job. Now, he’s back at the Secret Service as an assistant director. Why is this man allowed to hold a position with the Secret Service? This is inexcusable.
So with the data destruction, what are we missing?
Reports from Trump’s detail about the president’s conversations and attitude on January 5 and 6
Reports from Pence’s detail about the attacks on the Capitol
Reports from Pence’s detail about their efforts to move the vice president and his refusal to go
Reports on Trump’s demeanor at the January 6 rally, whether he asked to have the metal detectors removed, what his attitude was about accompanying the Proud Boys to the Capitol.
It strains all belief to think that happened just as a result of a screw-up. Given the reports about how partisan Trump’s Secret Service detail had become, it is inescapable that these messages were destroyed deliberately. Just as a soccer player uses his hands and takes the ejection rather than allow the game-winning goal, it looks like the Secret Service put itself forward to nationwide scorn to protect …. What?
While we’re thinking about that, what new light does this throw on Mike Pence’s refusal to get in the car? Did he, too, question whose side his agents were on?
Given the apparent corruption of the agency charged with protecting the president and vice president, how secure are the current occupants of the office? You don’t have to assume they’ve become the Praetorian Guard, who bumped off Caligula and Commodus and Caracalla and several other Roman emperors; it might be enough if an agent “freezes” for an instant at the wrong time – or “doesn't notice” a movement in the corner. If you owe your loyalty to the defeated president who still insists that the current protectee is a usurper, are you going to take a bullet to protect that usurper? And are you going to go out of your way to preserve records that might be damaging to the former guy? Looks like we have an answer to that last one.
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