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Life Inside the Secret Service Bubble
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Chris Stirewalt talks to former Secret Service agent Dan Emmett
- Duration 6:08
- Date Apr 13, 2012
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Johnson and those are not just extra big fans of Mitt Romney as he works a crowd there those are Secret Service -- -- agents of the United States Secret Service tasked with keeping him alive.
And this is power play and we are joined now by a guy who used to have to do that you -- -- they have the privilege of doing that any game and it.
Internet he is former Secret Service -- protected President Bill Clinton among other people for -- in the long career.
And he is the author of this book.
That is called within arm's length and it recounts.
Any interest in fashion your experience is well yes thank you very much okay so.
Mitt Romney.
It is different than some folks who end up getting Secret Service protection.
Because he already has lived a life of being rich being having people around him being in that bubble he's not he's not somebody like Barack Obama the winner basically from having a staff of four to being the guy so.
How does it affect -- somebody like Romney when they go from being -- as you said to me just a minute ago.
Private citizen to protect it.
Yeah it's a big transition for them because as a private citizen they're they come and go as they please.
They may have a staff yet they don't have a security staff quite like the Secret Service.
When they become a protective the Secret Service their lives are greatly restricted as compared to what they were before -- and so.
We knew it didn't tell us about your work with Bill Clinton how did you when did you first come to work with that.
Sure I was actually already on the presidential protective division under George Herbert Walker Bush Laura Bush 41.
And then when Bill Clinton won the election in 92.
I just transitioned into that administration are -- it's an assignment you don't move when the president changes so.
What will -- the Secret Service agents who were guarding Romney now if he were to win the presidency.
When they stick with him and going into the White House sure how does that -- know they'll go away -- those agents are from field offices around.
On most of them are very young this is their first experience -- -- and when should should mr.
Romney be elected and become president he would then be taken care of by the presidential protective division so these guys -- field -- guys in this may either breaks that they that they get to do well lot of big assignment.
But they're gonna go back to Pittsburgh or wherever it is that they're stationed -- correct they're gonna go back to -- criminal investigations which is the other half of the Secret Service interruption.
And temporary protective assignments.
But what they're doing that really is -- trial for the presidential detail one day because that's good that's the -- that's the one that's what all you guys wanna do and that's why you've got to write a book that's right that's what moustache just right for you right.
As much fun as it is to chase credit card please.
Across the Internet getting to be in the Oval Office.
How much time and terms of proximity.
You know I've talked to agents before.
And I've talked to -- politicians before and people who worked in administrations.
You guys are they hear the time you become horde of the -- your part of life if you are part of the same way.
Can you talk about this somewhat in the book but talk a little bit about.
The interesting moments but that that that can create when you're doing that.
Well you're with really all the time other than when they're in the second floor residence which you know the agents are not there that's their home that.
-- though there's an agent right outside the door right.
You're with them you see them in there.
Pretty much they're natural habitat so to speak but you're with and so much that they tend to.
With the US the fly on the wall -- -- -- -- -- they don't pay attention you're just kind of blue -- with an -- -- there right and they do know you -- you -- develop a professional relationship with them over time although it's not a -- best friend -- relationship right.
And the in terms of what you demand what the Secret Service demands of a candidate in that restricts their movement what are the kind of things that change for them.
Well we brief them when they become a protected we sort of give them an idea of what we're going to do for them in certain situations.
And what we would prefer they not do searches to dive into crowds.
Without -- letting them know they're going to do that things and things of that nature -- because certainly when you're running for office.
You know by the time a -- -- for reelection.
There and -- it and they understand how it goes.
And they've been doing official visits and those things for years -- they understand it -- for us somebody who's running and certainly we saw this with Rick Santorum.
A guy who was all about -- Grassroots up close and personal with people shaking hands and really as you say.
Be diving into the crowd.
All of a sudden finds himself having to pull back a little bit.
Right be -- candidate it's very dangerous they're going into crowds that have not been through security checkpoints have not been through magnetometer sex race.
-- really anyone could be there.
-- and -- see it every piece of entities ranging Boone Iowa I have seen it I've seen it in places like that across the country where candidates at that beginning level or are very close.
We have very Smart viewers.
And -- All for jury wants to know this.
What's the hardest compromised.
Between the Secret Service in the press.
But really it's the fact that the the Secret Service wouldn't prefer he never leave the the last half so any time he walks out the door is really a compromise in the sense that we have to provide his safety for his safety and his security.
And some situations he likes to go into -- more dangerous than others.
And some of those times you have to ask the president or the detail later will perhaps we shouldn't do this perhaps we should rethink this.
But in the end they do what they want generally and the Secret Service does its best to take care of them.
Internet and and and -- -- a man -- very good at his job and we should all be grateful to -- for that because you did your country good service and that -- thank you very much it was always my pleasure okay Internet and it's certainly been our pleasure today to be with you talk a little bit about this stuff we hope you have a fantastic.
Weekend we have the last word from Charles for you today.
