> ...reporters who thought they were traveling on the same plane as the president and were unaware of the risk to their lives.
Unaware that Iran might be eager to kill the leader of the Great Satan, in retaliation for the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader (by US/Israeli air strikes earlier this year) when Turkey and Iran have a 250-ish mile common border? And the weak defenses of some of the Air Force One planes have been in the news repeatedly in the past month?
The bit you quoted doesn’t capture why the reporters are upset:
> White House journalists are outraged that a threat credible enough to force Donald Trump to escape from Air Force One using an airport catering truck wasn’t relayed to them.
Assume you're the Secret Service's Grand Poobah of Presidential Protection. And actually trying to do your job. How, exactly, might you tell a gaggle of reporters that the President slipped out of the baddie's crosshairs, without a huge risk of them giving the game away? This ain't 1989, when their being inside Air Force One gave you total control over their communications with the outside world. And "President is in that slow, unarmored catering truck over there" may be all the targeting info that the baddies need.
Note too that "everybody else's lives are worth less than the POTUS's life" is right in that Grand Poobah's job description. And legal duties.
My guess: What actually has the journalists pissed is that they were reporters, sitting figurative feet away from a huge secret news story...and nobody felt they were worth letting in on the secret.
To be fair, it’s not unreasonable to take your safety for granted when in the presence of the US president. I do find it odd Trump decided to go though.
> ...reporters who thought they were traveling on the same plane as the president and were unaware of the risk to their lives.
Unaware that Iran might be eager to kill the leader of the Great Satan, in retaliation for the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader (by US/Israeli air strikes earlier this year) when Turkey and Iran have a 250-ish mile common border? And the weak defenses of some of the Air Force One planes have been in the news repeatedly in the past month?
I call bullshit.
The bit you quoted doesn’t capture why the reporters are upset:
> White House journalists are outraged that a threat credible enough to force Donald Trump to escape from Air Force One using an airport catering truck wasn’t relayed to them.
Point, however...
Assume you're the Secret Service's Grand Poobah of Presidential Protection. And actually trying to do your job. How, exactly, might you tell a gaggle of reporters that the President slipped out of the baddie's crosshairs, without a huge risk of them giving the game away? This ain't 1989, when their being inside Air Force One gave you total control over their communications with the outside world. And "President is in that slow, unarmored catering truck over there" may be all the targeting info that the baddies need.
Note too that "everybody else's lives are worth less than the POTUS's life" is right in that Grand Poobah's job description. And legal duties.
My guess: What actually has the journalists pissed is that they were reporters, sitting figurative feet away from a huge secret news story...and nobody felt they were worth letting in on the secret.
Exactly right? Why would anyone expect a competent security outfit to tell the reporters anything?
To be fair, it’s not unreasonable to take your safety for granted when in the presence of the US president. I do find it odd Trump decided to go though.