Obama orders top aide McDonough to stop biking to work

The president, a fitness maven and staunch environmentalist, appears to have made the call for security reasons.

New Chief of Staff Denis McDonough had been bicycling to work regularly when he was still Obama’s deputy national security adviser. He lives north of the White House in Takoma Park, Maryland. 

{mosads}Now that he has ascended to Cabinet-rank the days of dodging commuter buses on the morning ride through downtown Washington, DC. are over.

“I have stopped biking to work,” McDonough told NBC’s Meet the Press, acknowledging that it was Obama’s order.

Host David Gregory joked that you have to listen to the boss.

“Absolutely,” McDonough said.

Last month, the League of American Bicyclists called on Obama to “free the McDonough ten-speed” and allow him to stay in the bike lane.