In Becoming, our Forever First Lady Michelle Obama ushers the other man at her side into the spotlight. Secret Service Agent Allen Taylor makes his first public statements in the Netflix documentary that dropped earlier this week.
Taylor has been protecting Mrs. Obama since 2008, and the best-selling author revealed she sees him as a member of the family.
“Allen is more like a brother than he is an agent,” said Obama. “He was my first experience of having a detail—so that’s 12 years of a relationship, if not more.”
“I’ve spent a lot of time looking at the back of his head,” she said jokingly as footage of her dutifully sitting behind him in an SUV appeared on screen.
Allen agreed with Mrs. Obama’s description of their relationship, saying in the doc: “Over that time, if you’re around the protectee, you get to know each other very well. The stakes are very high in this job. It’s a no-fail mission, so you have to get it right 100 percent of the time.”
Obama is rarely present during the extensive security meetings that take place before her public appearances, but admitted she always asks one recurring question.
“I always want to know where the guns are,” she said. “What if somebody was really trying to take me out? They’d take these two out first. I could get us to safety, Allen. I got you covered. I’m always thinking.”
“I know you could. I’m very confident in that,” Taylor replied knowingly.
That weight of Taylor’s mission has taken him to some unexpected places, including the Great Wall of China.
“It had been planned out that the girls would have the ability to take the slide down,” Taylor said about first daughters Malia and Sasha Obama.
Taylor was surprised when their mother insisted on him joining in on the fun. He even got a picture to prove it. It shows Obama enjoying the ride down while he scowled behind her.
“As you can see, she’s smiling and I’m not smiling. But obviously it’s a very special photo,” he said. “It’s a fun photo. It’s actually one of my favorites. I always have to pinch myself and say, ‘Did I really experience all of that?’ ”
Becoming is streaming on Netflix now.