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New Security Fears Rise After Biden’s Classified Travel Plans Found on Street in Ireland

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OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.


President Joe Biden’s trip to Northern Ireland on Wednesday was marred by a security scare when a highly confidential document containing his itinerary for the visit to Belfast and details about his protective detail was discovered on the street.

BBC Radio Ulster reported that a pedestrian found the police document, which included information about where the president was staying in Northern Ireland, as well as the phone numbers of the Police Service of Northern Ireland officers in his security detail.

The police service confirmed the security breach in a statement to the Irish Examiner.

“An investigation has commenced, and we have notified the Senior Information Risk Officer,” the statement read, according to the New York Post.

“We take the safety of visiting dignitaries, members of the public, and our officers and staff extremely seriously and will put the appropriate actions in place,” the statement continued.

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The Post noted further: “Biden’s trip to Belfast proceeded without incident, with the president flying on to Dublin Wednesday afternoon.”

A massive security operation involving over 300 officers was put in place after President Biden arrived in Northern Ireland on Tuesday evening in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, The Post reported.

The Good Friday Agreement, signed in 1998, marked the end of three decades of sectarian violence between Catholics and Protestants in the region, known as the Troubles. Although the agreement ended the violence, tensions continue to exist, and Irish Republican dissidents who oppose the peace process have been blamed for occasional outbursts of violence since then, the outlet noted.

“In addition, a post-Brexit trade dispute led to the collapse of the province’s power-sharing government last year,” said The Post.

Meanwhile, back home, Biden’s polling numbers are dismal and a majority of Democratic voters have said they don’t want him to run again next year.

“President Joe Biden’s job performance rating has mostly held steady for more than a year and currently stands at 44% approve vs. 56% disapprove in the latest Fox News national survey. That’s net negative by 12 points. The last time that he received positive marks was September 2021, and that was by 1 point (50%-49%),” Fox News reported.

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“Approval of the president hovers at a low point among several key voting groups, including women (43% now vs. 42% low), voters ages 45+ (41% vs. 39% low), suburban voters (41% vs. 39% low), rural voters (31% vs. 30% low) and Democrats (81% vs. 78% low) – Democratic men in particular (79% vs. 78% low). He’s at a low mark of 41% approval among suburban women,” the report added.

The poll also found that a majority of voters do not approve of Biden’s performance on these key issues: 53% disapprove on national security, 54% on foreign policy, 60% on border security, and 64% on his handling the economy.

“Biden’s numbers cratered in the fall of 2021 after the Afghanistan withdrawal debacle and the onset of hyperinflation,” said Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts the Fox News poll with Democrat Chris Anderson. “Since then, his approval has barely moved, despite a midterm election, economic ups and downs, and several legislative policy rollouts.”

According to the new Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll, President Biden’s approval rating has dropped to 38 percent, down from 45 percent in February and 41 percent in January. This puts his approval rating dangerously close to the lowest of his presidency when only 36 percent of people approved of his job performance in July 2021, as rising costs in gasoline, groceries, and other areas affected the nation.

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The economy is the most significant factor in the low approval rating of the Biden administration, according to the poll. Only around 25 percent of people believe that the national economy is doing well or that the country is on the right track. Other issues, such as national security and healthcare, are also being emphasized to the Biden administration.

Not surprisingly, a majority of Republicans did not approve of Biden’s job performance, including his handling of the economy, while Democrats were more supportive. The poll indicated that 63 percent of Democrats approved of his handling of the economy, and 76 percent approved of his presidency.

However, those figures are declining among Democrats under the age of 45, possibly due to Biden’s failure to fulfill his environmental protection pledges, such as his approval of the Willow project in Alaska, the Washington Examiner noted, citing the poll.

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