Almost 40 years ago, some kid jumped up in the front row of an audience and squirted Ronald Reagan with a squirt gun--water only, no injury inflicted. After the Secret Service tackled him, cuffed him, and took him off for psychiatric evaluation, they started to inquire among persons who had previously known him.
One was an acquaintance of mine, who had lived down the hall from the kid in a college dorm. As he recounted it, the conversation went in part like this:
Secret Service guys: Did he seem like the sort of person who would do something like this?
Acquaintance: No, really pretty serious. Now, I might think it was funny to do something like that. [Smiles, chuckles.]
SSg: [Silence, no smiles, no chuckles]
Let's face it, they aren't paid to have a sense of humor.
Ford survived two assassination attempts. In both cases, the assailants were able to get close, but no bullets fired. Regan survived an actual attack - shots fired and one bullet stopped. The assailant was seen in the waiting guests visibly nervous, abrupt and aggressive. The 'special agent' (the ones with guns who travel with the president) got in the way to block further shots.
I suspect it is a bit edgy being the one just behind the president...
One was an acquaintance of mine, who had lived down the hall from the kid in a college dorm. As he recounted it, the conversation went in part like this:
Secret Service guys: Did he seem like the sort of person who would do something like this? Acquaintance: No, really pretty serious. Now, I might think it was funny to do something like that. [Smiles, chuckles.] SSg: [Silence, no smiles, no chuckles]
Let's face it, they aren't paid to have a sense of humor.