Obama expresses confidence in Secret Service

President Barack Obama said in an interview Thursday that he has
complete confidence in the Secret Service even after two uninvited
guests were able to sneak into the president’s first state dinner last
month.

In an interview with reporters from USA Today and the Detroit Free Press, Obama said of the incident that resulted in three officers from the service’s uniformed division being place on leave, “the system didn’t work the way it was supposed to.”

{mosads}But, the president said in the interview, he continues to have faith in the agency’s ability to keep him and his loved ones safe.

“They do an outstanding job,” Obama said. “They have been with me since I was a candidate. I trust them 100 percent, not just with me but with my wife and my children.”

Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan acknowledged in congressional hearings that there was a breakdown in the security policy, and he told lawmakers that the three uniformed officers have been placed on leave.

As a result of the intrusion, the White House announced Wednesday a new policy for official functions that would require a representative from the social secretary’s office to be present at the checkpoint.

Previous administrations used the same approach, but Obama’s administration had changed the policy.