Protecting the President of the United States is not a public-relations exercise. TRENDING Stories Videos Your SayA president is not required to demonstrate physical bravery by remaining on a higher-risk aircraft. The principle was the same then as now: elected leaders must not allow terrorists or hostile states to dictate the terms of their survival or remove them from duty. The bilateral depends on an American president who remains capable of decisive action. A United States that treats serious threats with seriousness strengthens the entire Western security architecture.