JERUSALEM — “The Beast” is a burden.
President Obama’s $300,000 armored Cadillac limo, the fortress on wheels that was supposed to schlep him around Israel, broke down yesterday.
The custom-made car is known as “The Beast” for its thick armored plating and other security features.
The breakdown forced the Secret Service to fly in a backup Beast that had been sent to Jordan for Obama’s visit there on Friday.
“Secret Service will acknowledge that a vehicle broke down. That’s why we bring extra vehicles, mechanics, et cetera,” agency spokesman Brian Leary told the Post.
The massive vehicle that broke down wound up on the back of a flat-bed truck shortly after Air Force One landed in Tel Aviv with the President on board
According to Israeli’s Channel 2, “The Americans filled it up with diesel” rather than gasoline. But a Secret Service source said the right fuel was put in all vehicles.
It was a stroke of bad luck for the carefully choreographed arrival here, which featured a walk down a red carpet and warm words from both sides.