French President Emmanuel Macron goes for surprise DC walk, Secret Service expertly protect him

Shortly after arriving in Washington Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron decided he wanted to go for a walk rather than rest at the White House guest residence, Blair House.

Yet considering the absence of police officers acting as an external bubble around Macron, and the fact that 17th Street NW was not closed, the U.S. Secret Service doesn’t seem to have been given advance warning of Macron’s walking plans.

This will have upset the Secret Service, which hates unannounced stops because they leave a protectee open to an unstable individual or opportunist attacker lurking nearby. This is especially true outside the White House, as that locale often attracts unstable individuals or those with grudges.

Still, even though the protective agency much prefers preparation to protectees who like walking in public, the Secret Service did exemplify how such circumstances can be managed effectively. As Macron shakes hands with the crowd, the Secret Service and their French counterparts from the GSPR create a control zone around him. We hear a Secret Service agent ask the public to take their hands out of their pockets to show that they are unarmed.

The only issue of any challenge comes at 43 seconds, when a French passerby asks for a photo with Macron and puts his arm around the president. We see a GSPR officer put his hand on the arm of the passerby as a Secret Service agent watches intently.

As the Macrons then walk down 17th Street alongside French Ambassador Gerard Araud, the Secret Service and GSPR form a rolling bubble around the couple. But there is also backup nearby if needed: At the 2 minute 25 second mark we can see Macron’s Secret Service motorcade on the left side of the street. The vehicles offer a mobile stronghold that Macron could be rushed to in the event of an attack. Indeed, if you ever watch Trump on a foreign walkabout, the Secret Service will keep an escape car nearby at all times with its door held open by an agent (left of screen here).

A few minutes later, the Macrons were at the Lincoln Memorial. Here we see another example of how the Secret Service handles unannounced walkabouts: keeping a low profile.

So as to avoid generating a crowd that might act as a shield or veil for an attacker, or attracting the attention of a would-be opportunist attacker, the Secret Service allows the public to get quite close to the Macrons without warding them away. Shouting at members of the public to move back would draw the crowd’s attention and complicate an efficient exit.

Yet as more people become aware of the Macrons’ presence, the Secret Service and GSPR become more concerned. They become more vocal and physical in keeping the public away from the couple and almost certainly asked Macron to return to the car.

In short order, the Macrons do so. At the 7-9 second mark here, as the crowd become increasingly excited, we see a Secret Service supervisor effectively guiding Macron into the waiting limousine. Translation: We’ve had enough of this!

Then it’s back to Blair House (this time with the roads closed)! Mission accomplished.