WEBVTT - How Does the U.S. Presidential Motorcade Work?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio. Hey,

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<v Speaker 1>brain Stuff, Lauren Vogelbam here. Nothing snarls big city traffic

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<v Speaker 1>quite like a politician headed to another ribbon cutting or

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<v Speaker 1>campaign stump speech. Lights flashing flags, fluttering sirens, blaring traffic

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<v Speaker 1>light ignoring. It's a commuting armageddon, no matter which side

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<v Speaker 1>of the political aisle or city street you happen to

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<v Speaker 1>be stuck on. The granddaddy of these, of course, the

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<v Speaker 1>jammed resistance, if you will, is the presidential motorcade. Ever

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<v Speaker 1>since that day nearly a hundred and seventeen years ago,

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<v Speaker 1>when Teddy Roosevelt reportedly became the first president to use

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<v Speaker 1>a car in an official capacity parading through the streets

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<v Speaker 1>of Hartford, Connecticut, everybody's been moving aside to let the

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<v Speaker 1>Commander in Chief through. From The New York Times on

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<v Speaker 1>August two. On his arrival at Hartford, the President was

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<v Speaker 1>welcomed by a committee of representative citizens and then taken

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<v Speaker 1>for a drive around the city, occupying with Colonel Jacob L. Green,

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<v Speaker 1>a handsome Victoria automobile in charge of two expert New

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<v Speaker 1>York show furs. He was enthusiastically cheered all along the

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<v Speaker 1>route earlier, Roosevelt had landed by yacht in New Haven

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<v Speaker 1>and taken a carriage ride through that city. At the

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<v Speaker 1>times reported by proclamation of the mayor, all traffic over

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<v Speaker 1>the line of March was suspended. The city's factories changed

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<v Speaker 1>the noon hour for the day, and the shops were

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<v Speaker 1>closed between one pm and two thirty pm. The city

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<v Speaker 1>was gaily dressed in flags and bunting. Presidential motorcaids have

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<v Speaker 1>always had an undeniable patriotic panash, even in Washington, d C.

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<v Speaker 1>Where other motorcaids are pretty passe, varying visiting dignitaries, diplomats,

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<v Speaker 1>cabinet members, and the political alike about and of course,

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<v Speaker 1>presidential inaugural parades featuring the presidential motorcaid are particularly decked out,

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<v Speaker 1>even though almost every president since Jimmy Carter in n

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<v Speaker 1>has escaped from their limos to hoof it down Pennsylvania

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<v Speaker 1>Avenue on foot at least for a little bit. But

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<v Speaker 1>however festive they seem, these motorcaids must carry off a

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<v Speaker 1>kind of automobile ballet to get the president safely to

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<v Speaker 1>the destination. We spoke via email with Melissa Mackenzie, a

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<v Speaker 1>spokesperson for these Secret Service, she said, while each motorcaid

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<v Speaker 1>movement is unique, thorough planning precedes any protective movement, requiring

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<v Speaker 1>constant coordination between the Secret Service and its partners. The

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<v Speaker 1>Secret Service believes that this thorough planning is the best

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<v Speaker 1>safeguard against all types of potential pitfalls, but agents are

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<v Speaker 1>prepared and trained to deal with unforeseen circumstances as they arise.

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<v Speaker 1>Those unforeseen circumstances can be the stuff of tragedy and history.

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<v Speaker 1>John F. Kennedy was assassinated riding in a presidential motorcaid

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<v Speaker 1>in Dallas. An assassin shot Ronald Reagan as he prepared

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<v Speaker 1>to get into his limo in a motorcade in d

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<v Speaker 1>c Gerald Ford had to be shoved into his limousine

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<v Speaker 1>twice in the space of two weeks in California, once

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<v Speaker 1>in Sacramento, once in San Francisco to avoid assassination. That's

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<v Speaker 1>why the Secret Service doesn't mess around when it comes

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<v Speaker 1>to presidential motorcaids. Mackenzie pointed out carefully that the Secret

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<v Speaker 1>Service coordinates with state, local, and federal authorities in determining

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<v Speaker 1>a composition of a presidential motorcaid. Often how well equipped

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<v Speaker 1>the local force is determines how many vehicles are involved.

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<v Speaker 1>She said. Motorcaids are comprised of numerous types of vehicles

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<v Speaker 1>belonging to the Secret Service and several other entities. While

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<v Speaker 1>precise alignments and numbers cannot be divulged, most motorcaids include,

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<v Speaker 1>at a minimum, a vehicle for the protectee, vehicles for

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<v Speaker 1>security personnel, and vehicles for local or state law enforcement support.

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<v Speaker 1>At the virtual center of a presidential motorcaid is the

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<v Speaker 1>presidential limo, which carries the president, a few Secret Service agents,

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<v Speaker 1>and other high ranking dignitaries or family members. Franklin D.

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<v Speaker 1>Roosevelt became the first to use an armor plated vehicle

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<v Speaker 1>in December of ninety one, shortly after the Japanese bombed

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<v Speaker 1>Pearl Harbor and the US entered World War Two. That

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<v Speaker 1>particular vehicle was seized by the Treasury Department from gangster

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<v Speaker 1>Al Capone in ninety two. It had bulletproof glass, but

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<v Speaker 1>the body was vulnerable to bullets. The Secret Service started

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<v Speaker 1>armor plating limos in two. Today's well armor presidential limo

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<v Speaker 1>is surrounded by other vehicles in the motorcaid, including decoy

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<v Speaker 1>limos and many support cars. In a article the website

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<v Speaker 1>The Drive suggested that there may be as many as

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<v Speaker 1>twenty different limos in the presidential fleet, though we couldn't

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<v Speaker 1>get Mackenzie to confirm this info. When a president leaves

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<v Speaker 1>d C, the presidential limo and many other cars in

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<v Speaker 1>the motorcaid. However, many of the secret Service deams necessary,

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<v Speaker 1>including perhaps a spare limo, are shipped to the destination

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<v Speaker 1>via air Force planes. The limo carrying the president is

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<v Speaker 1>proceeded in the motorcaid by different vehicles closing streets and

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<v Speaker 1>clearing the way. Often local police on motorcycles do that job,

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<v Speaker 1>and it's closely accompanied by at least one other limo.

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<v Speaker 1>The two limos moved back and forth, swapping places during

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<v Speaker 1>the procession. The Drive reported quote, while the Motorcaid is

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<v Speaker 1>in motion, highly trained Secret Service drivers execute a classic

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<v Speaker 1>roving shell game, weaving stagecoach and spare or spares in

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<v Speaker 1>and out among each other so that a would be

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<v Speaker 1>attacker would have a tough time picking the car actually

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<v Speaker 1>containing the president. The presidential limousines even have identical plates.

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<v Speaker 1>The current presidential limo is known as the Beast. It's

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<v Speaker 1>a Cadillac hybrid. Tech Crunch reported that prior presidential limo

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<v Speaker 1>supported quote bulletproof glass, a supply of the president's blood type,

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<v Speaker 1>and an independent air supply to thwart chemical attack. Secret

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<v Speaker 1>Service details, communications vehicles, and other support vehicles, including a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of heavy duty SUVs, follow the presidential limo. The

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<v Speaker 1>rear of the convoy includes vehicles carrying members of the press,

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<v Speaker 1>an ambulance, and more local police to protect the rear

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<v Speaker 1>of the motorcaid. The Secret Service is always in charge.

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<v Speaker 1>Mackenzie said. Agents assigned to drive in presidential motorcaids received

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<v Speaker 1>extensive training in several areas, and the rehearse and research

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<v Speaker 1>motorcaid routes continually. Things don't always go smoothly. A few

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<v Speaker 1>motorcycle officers assigned the Presidential Motorcaid in Lake Charles, Louisiana

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<v Speaker 1>in May of twenty nineteen were injured in an accident. Still,

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<v Speaker 1>that motorcaide got his job done, delivering President Donald Trump

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<v Speaker 1>safely to his death nation, even if there were a

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<v Speaker 1>few traffic tie ups along the way. Today's episode was

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<v Speaker 1>written by John Donovan and produced by Tyler Clang. The

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<v Speaker 1>Brain Stuff is a production of iHeart Radio's how Stuff Works.

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