October 25, 2023 | Read Online

Marine removed from White House after biting Biden's dog

Not the first time. Probably not the last.

Cat Astronaut

White House photographers capture Zagursky and Commander prior to a "grunt bite"

A U.S. Marine Corps security guard has been removed from duty at the White House following reports that he bit numerous members of the White House staff, including President Joe Biden's dog, Commander.

"Obviously, that thing is not properly trained on how to behave around people," White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients said. "While everyone on our team has the utmost respect for Marines, we can't just let them roam loose around the facilities if they're going to be a danger to humans and other animals."

This wasn't the first time Cpl. Tyler Zagursky had been reprimanded for misbehaving while on duty. An investigation in 2022 found that the pungent smell emanating throughout the White House for months was due to Zagursky's frequent urination on the Biden family's couch.

Capt. Jason Wadlow, Zagursky's commanding officer at Marine Corps Guard Company, dismissed concerns around the couch as "Marines being Marines, marking territory, establishing who is who in the zoo." Wadlow did acknowledge that for most of 2023, Zagursky was forced to wear a muzzle while standing post after complaints that he would bite "just about anyone who refused to give him a pinch of Copenhagen."