The White House on Tuesday urged the Secret Service to release “as soon as possible” information about the incident involving a fence-jumper who entered the executive mansion, as troubling details about the security breach began to leak out.
“It is my view that it is in the interest of the agency in question and all of you for the information to be accurate and released as soon as possible,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters.
{mosads}”There is legitimate public interest in this matter because it relates to the safety and security of the commander in chief.”
The statement suggested waning patience within the West Wing for the press operation at the Secret Service.
In a pair of reports this week, The Washington Post revealed that a man indentified as Omar Gonzalez, a 42-year-old Iraq war veteran, with a folding knife in his pocket, was able to get farther into the White House than previously thought.
Gonzalez apparently overpowered a female agent, ran through the main foyer and past a staircase leading to the private residence and entered the East Room — a large space regularly used for public events and speeches. He was then tackled by an off-duty agent on the security detail for the president’s daughters. The agent was leaving work when he came upon the intruder, individuals familiar with the incident told the paper.
That account differed from public statements made by the Secret Service to reporters after the incident that misstated the extent of the breach.
Associated Press White House correspondent Josh Lederman tweeted that the agency told him Gonzalez was apprehended “just inside the North Portico doors.” NPR White House correspondent Tamara Keith also noted that the Secret Service had originally described Gonzalez as unarmed.
Earnest sidestepped questions about whether he believed the Secret Service had deliberately misled reporters, saying the contradictions likely reflected the “chaotic” aftermath of the incident.
But Earnest added that such situations were precisely why he has so far declined to confirm any specifics about the incident until the release of a final report detailing what occurred.
Earnest described an “inherent tension, particularly in these high-stakes situations, between the need for locking down facts and ensuring accuracy, and acting as quickly as possible to disseminate information to the public about incidents that have a legitimate public interest.”
The top White House spokesman did say that, personally, he had “never encountered a scenario” when he concluded it was appropriate for a spokesman to deliberately mislead the press.
The Secret Service misstatements have given additional life to an embarrassing incident for the beleaguered agency, and fueled tough criticism of Director Julia Pierson during her testimony Tuesday before the House Oversight Committee.
Earnest said the White House “absolutely” retained confidence in Pierson, and applauded her willingness in the testimony to take responsibility for the security lapse.
“She is somebody who took responsibility for the incident that occurred about 10 days ago. She also took responsibility for ensuring that the necessary reforms were implemented to ensure it never happens again. That is a sign of leadership,” Earnest said.
He also said that Pierson had not offered her resignation to the president over the incident.
The White House would not answer questions about whether the president or another member of the first family had requested the Secret Service turn off an alarm box near the building’s front door that had reportedly been muted. According to the Post, the box was turned off at the request of the White House usher.
Pressed if the White House believed agents should have used lethal force to stop Gonzalez, Earnest said it “isn’t really a matter for the White House to micromanage.”
“There is a specific policy that’s in place that gives discretion to law enforcement officers to use lethal force where necessary within the confines of the law to perform their responsibilities,” he said.
The White House also indicated it did not see a need for an external review of the agency, despite calls from members on Capitol Hill — including Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), the chairman of the House Oversight Subcommittee on National Security — for such an effort.
“The Secret Service is cooperating with this congressional review of the matter,” Earnest said. “And I think that is an indication of their commitment to considering perspectives from even outside the building for reforming the Secret Service in a way that strengthens the security around the president and around the White House.”