New First Dog Commander Biden’s Debut Met with Mix of Gushing, Political Attacks, and Demands for First Cat
President Joe Biden sparked a flurry of reaction with the announcement that German shepherd puppy Commander Biden has joined the family as the newest First Dog.
On Monday, the White House announced Commander’s arrival, as well as the sad news that Major Biden will be rehomed with family friends after well-publicized difficulties adjusting to life at the White House.
The president marked the news by tweeting out a photo and a video of the new arrival. Journalists, political and media figures, and other verified users responded with a mixture of gaga cuteness overload, cynicism, First Cat advocacy, and the occasional attack.
Now I want a German Shepherd puppy for Christmas. https://t.co/xynmHTahf4
— Morgan Chalfant (@mchalfant16) December 20, 2021
WARNING: Cute puppy pictures/video alert. @potus gets new dog. My report, with @katierogers https://t.co/SQOUjRbSzg
— Michael D. Shear (@shearm) December 21, 2021
NOT A POLITICAL POST: Just gushing over a german shepherd puppy 😍😍😍 https://t.co/TwrJNvZJtP
— Stephanie Mead (@stephmeadwx) December 21, 2021
WHERE IS THE CAT OLD MANhttps://t.co/qgscJ4fiHW
— Bedford Falls High-Speed Rail (@BudrykZack) December 20, 2021
Cousin Oliver will fix everything https://t.co/ZT4k8eZtXu
— Mike Schuster (@mcs212) December 20, 2021
This is their cover for getting rid of Major. (Not speculation – FLOTUS’ press secretary announced today that they’re rehoming him. And every news outlet is going “look! A puppy!”) https://t.co/D2K4m7cuJd
— Angela Morabito (@AngelaLMorabito) December 21, 2021
maybe commander can cancel student debt before he’s neutered because you clearly don’t have the balls to do it joe https://t.co/5PyNPKRsVN
— Caroline Reilly (@ms_creilly) December 20, 2021
joe biden give your dog a non-fascist name challenge 2022 https://t.co/l7OEagIVPE
— Max J. Rosenthal (@maxjrosenthal) December 20, 2021
that’s a weird looking cat https://t.co/GClI4lGjsQ
— Washingtonian (@washingtonian) December 20, 2021
“When you want a friend in Washington, get a dog” https://t.co/GTncKkTcAC
— Sebastian Smith (@SebastianAFP) December 20, 2021
Joe Biden replaces his old dog Major (who was biting people) with a new puppy https://t.co/ebkqvWdJmB
— Charlie Spiering (@charliespiering) December 21, 2021
How can you not love a President who loves German Shepherd puppies? OMGZ the cuteness is TOO MUCH #CommanderBiden https://t.co/9Y7R1iiK95
— Tara Dublin (Taylor’s Version) (@taradublinrocks) December 21, 2021
Can you please get us some COVID tests https://t.co/cMwl95we3o
— Jackie Fielder (@JackieFielder_) December 21, 2021
This is not the cat we were promised, sir. https://t.co/cyNqHwEtJ3
— Tom and Lorenzo (@tomandlorenzo) December 20, 2021
Commander joins the White House family six months after 13 year-old co-First Dog Champ Biden died.
Michael LaRosa, press secretary for First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, provided Mediaite with some details about the First Pet news.
Commander Biden was a birthday gift from the President’s brother James Biden and sister-in-law Sara Biden.
The First Cat is “she,” and will join the First Family in January.
And of Major Biden’s departure, LaRosa said that “After consulting with dog trainers, animal behaviorists, and veterinarians, the First Family has decided to follow the experts’ collective recommendation that it would be safest for Major to live in a quieter environment with family friends. This is not in reaction to any new or specific incident, but rather a decision reached after several months of deliberation as a family and discussions with experts.”
Watch the video above via The White House.
