Did the Secret Service buy a mess of baked goods from a local Virginia businessman as a sign of gratitude for refusing a vice presidential photo-op?
That’s exactly what happened, according to a report from the New River Valley Reporter:
Why in the world would a new business owner say “no” to a photo op with the Vice President of the United States?
McMurray said it was President Obama’s recent remarks about small business and who built what.
“Very simply, ‘you didn’t build that’” McMurray said. “Speaking of small businesses and entrepreneurs all across this country and actually last night my wife was up all night. No sleep, she’s worked a full 24 hours.”
[. . .]
Here’s the back story, we’re told that shortly after Crumb and Get It told Biden’s advance people ‘no’ — the secret service walked in and told Chris McMurray ‘’Thanks for standing up and saying ‘no’ — then they bought a whole bunch of cookies and cupcakes.
If this is true, it’s obviously unprofessional. But it’s also rather damning. Maybe VPOTUS shouldn’t have charged the USSS rent to live in his guest house?
Hat tip to the Washington Examiner.
UPDATE: I just got a call from Max Milien, a spokesman for the United States Secret Service. He told me unequivocally, “our personnel were not involved in making that statement.” Milien said there were agents in the bakery, along with (similarly dressed) local law enforcement, but that USSS was there merely to thank the shop owners for their trouble and apologize for any inconvenience the advance team may have caused them.