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The Debrief · August 20 · 23 min

Why you need security clearance (and AED 20,000) to meet Obama

As Barack Obama's speaking tour puts premium meet-and-greet access on sale, The Debrief digs into what that eye-watering price tag of AED 20,000 per ticket actually buys, and why every ticket comes subject to a background check. Joining the team is Jason Russell, a former US Secret Service Special Agent of eight years. He explains just how big a headache an event like this is when the public is given close access to a former president, what kind of personal history gets someone flagged, and what most people misunderstand about presidential security in general. And the question everyone secretly wants answered: how close are the presidents and their agents really? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

0:00-23:12

transcript

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show notes

As Barack Obama's speaking tour puts premium meet-and-greet access on sale, The Debrief digs into what that eye-watering price tag of AED 20,000 per ticket actually buys, and why every ticket comes subject to a background check. Joining the team is Jason Russell, a former US Secret Service Special Agent of eight years. He explains just how big a headache an event like this is when the public is given close access to a former president, what kind of personal history gets someone flagged, and what most people misunderstand about presidential security in general. And the question everyone secretly wants answered: how close are the presidents and their agents really?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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