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Boston Herald
Boston Herald
6 Jul 2023
Boston Herald editorial staff


NextImg:Editorial: Coke discovery points to White House security flaw

Nothing to see here, folks.

The mysterious powder discovered by the Secret Service during a sweep of the White House Sunday evening which sparked a brief evacuation was determined to be cocaine.

The White House is working overtime on damage control.

During her Wednesday briefing, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed Politico’s reporting that the cocaine was found in an area heavily traveled by staff and visitors. Translation: It could belong to anyone from anywhere.

She also emphasized that President Joe Biden and his family left Washington on Friday and returned Tuesday, in time for the White House’s annual Fourth of July celebration. In other words, nope, wasn’t them, keep looking.

Jean-Pierre told reporters that President Biden has been briefed on the situation and that the administration is confident the Secret Service can get to the bottom of the situation.

Maybe.

As Politico reported, one official familiar with the investigation cautioned that the source of the drug was unlikely to be determined given that it was discovered in a highly trafficked area of the West Wing.

The small amount of cocaine was found in a cubby area for storing electronics within the West Exec basement entryway into the West Wing, where many people have authorized access, including staff or visitors coming in for West Wing tours.

Asked what the chances were of finding the culprit, the official said that “it’s gonna be very difficult for us to do that because of where it was.”

“Even if there were surveillance cameras, unless you were waving it around, it may not have been caught” by the cameras, added the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity given that it’s an ongoing investigation. “It’s a bit of a thoroughfare. People walk by there all the time.”

Given that the White House has a zero-tolerance policy for drug use, emphasizing that the coke could have been brought in by darn near anyone is key.

This, however, begs the question: what if it hadn’t been cocaine?

If a tour-taking visitor had come in through that entryway, deposited their cell phone in the storage area, and then dropped a baggie of anthrax-laced powder or even ricin on the premises, would it be an uphill battle to track them down?

“People walk by there all the time.” It’s the White House, one would expect there to be areas where the traffic of staff and visitors is high. One would think surveillance would be heightened here. Even if someone weren’t out to harm the president or his family, dropping off a toxic, potentially deadly substance could do some major damage.

For now, the White House is touting its transparency, while promoting the-field-of-suspects-is-enormous narrative. The mainstream media is doing its part. Business Insider helpfully pointed out that “It’s hardly the first time recreational drugs have entered White House grounds,” noting that Willie Nelson once smoked marijuana with President Jimmy Carter’s son on the roof, and Snoop Dogg said he once smoked a joint in a White House bathroom.

Team Biden would no doubt like this to die down as soon as possible, but it is a teachable moment.

There shouldn’t be a chance to bring in substances “undetected” at the White House.