A spokesman for the Secret Service said it’s not out of the ordinary for agents to “monitor” Fox News — or any other news organization.
An employee of the Secret Service on Wednesday accidentally tweeted on the agency’s Twitter account a complaint about having to “monitor Fox for a story” and not being able to deal with the network’s “blathering.”
The tweet was promptly removed and the Secret Service offered an apology, blaming it on someone who thought he or she was posting to a personal account.
But why was the law enforcement agency that provides protection to the president and foreign dignitaries monitoring Fox News?
“Here’s the thing,” said Ed Donovan, a spokesman for the Secret Service. “This is the public affairs office. We have employees that watch TV during the day, watch the news stations during the day for stories that affect the Secret Service.”
Donovan said he doesn’t know what was on Fox at the particular time when the employee tweeted.
In response to an inquiry seeking comment, a Fox News spokesman forwarded a link to a story from its own reporters. In that story, Fox News speculates that the story the Secret Service was referencing was that of a 13-year old in Washington state who posted a Facebook about President Obama and terrorist attacks.
The Secret Service launched its Twitter account May 9. The @SecretService Twitter account is meant to share press releases, explore Secret Service history and promote upcoming recruitment opportunities, according to the agency.