A sensitive police document on protecting Biden while he’s in Ireland was found on the streets of Belfast by a local there.
The document explained how officers would keep the city safe while Biden was there, giving details on road closures, command assignments and phone numbers.
Here’s more from NBC News:
Police in Northern Ireland informed the U.S. Secret Service on Wednesday of local media reports saying a document related to President Joe Biden’s trip to Belfast was found on a city street.
“The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) informed the Secret Service of media reports regarding a potentially sensitive document, which may contain law-enforcement material,” Anthony Guglielmi, a Secret Service spokesperson, said in a statement.
Local reports said the document was from the Police Service of Northern Ireland and detailed how officers would keep Belfast safe during Biden’s Tuesday night stay at the city’s Grand Central Hotel.
The Belfast Telegraph reported that the man who discovered the document called into a BBC radio show and said that it provided details of road closures, commanders assigned to various posts and phone numbers. The same news outlet had reported, before Biden’s arrival, that police had foiled a bomb plot meant to overshadow the president’s trip.
“While we do not discuss the specifics of any protective operation, the President’s movements were not affected by these reports,” Guglielmi said.
He added that the senior Secret Service official overseeing Biden’s visit, Jocelyn Keaveny, “expressed her highest confidence in our Irish and European partners and the ongoing security of the visit.”
This doesn’t sound like a failure of Biden or the Secret Service, but rather someone with the local police in Belfast.
I will say it is strange how confidential documents just manage to show up in weird places when Biden is around. Maybe it’s not that much of a coincidence after all. Heh.
As an aside, here’s something else from Biden today. Personally I think 911 got it wrong below. I think he was saying ‘capital’ instead of ‘capitol’, but it is awkward and can see how 911 might have thought this. What do you think?
POTUS: "As you walk into my office in the Oval Office in the United States Capitol, guess what? You know who founded and designed and built the White House? An Irishman! No, not a joke, not a joke!" pic.twitter.com/mubSAqmgP0
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) April 12, 2023