The Secret Service just can’t seem to catch a break these days. Following a disastrous couple of weeks in which the agency let a fence jumper enter the White House as well as revelations that the Secret Service failed to adequately protect the president, another stain for the agency has emerged.
On Tuesday, CBS This Morning was the only network morning show to cover a Washington Examiner report that claimed “an agent who protects President Obama had a semi-automatic handgun stolen from his car five years ago. The agent was never disciplined.” ABC’s Good Morning America and NBC’s Today were nowhere to be found on the latest embarrassment for the agency tasked with protecting the president.
Furthermore, CBS This Morning was the only network morning show to report on calls for New York Police Commissioner Bill Bratton to take over the Secret Service:
The report follows Monday’s swearing in of acting Director Joseph Clancy. He headed the president’s detail before retiring from the Secret Service in 2011. Meanwhile, a California congresswoman wants New York Police Commissioner Bill Bratton to take over the Secret Service. An NYPD spokesman says Bratton wants to stay in New York.
Rather than find time to cover the latest humiliation for the Secret Service, Good Morning America spent four minutes talking about the latest episode of Dancing with the Stars and NBC’s Today spent nearly two minutes gushing over new photos from President John F. Kennedy's wedding from 1953.
See relevant transcript below.
CBS This Morning
October 7, 2014
NORAH O’DONNELL: And a report this morning raises new questions about the Secret Service after Director Julia Pierson resigned last week. The Washington Examiner says an agent who protects President Obama had a semi-automatic handgun stolen from his car five years ago. The agent was never disciplined.
CHARLIE ROSE: The report follows Monday’s swearing in of acting Director Joseph Clancy. He headed the president’s detail before retiring from the Secret Service in 2011. Meanwhile, a California congresswoman wants New York Police Commissioner Bill Bratton to take over the Secret Service. An NYPD spokesman says Bratton wants to stay in New York.
— Jeffrey Meyer is a News Analyst at the Media Research Center. Follow Jeffrey Meyer on Twitter. [1]