Kenneth Tate Speaks on Barack Obama Elevator Ride TIME Politics White House Security Guard Fired After Armed Elevator Ride with Obama Says His Life Is Ruined I didn't know it was going to be my job The security guard whose shared elevator ride with President Barack Obama while carrying a gun sparked controversy and led to his firing said in a new interview that the ride and events that followed have ruined his life. "This was unjust and has been a nightmare," Kenneth Tate told the New York Times. I've tried to rationalize it. It won't go away. Revelations of Tate's ride with the President, during which he carried a gun in violation of Secret Service protocol, came as the agency was already dealing with a scandal over security breaches, and helped lead the Secret Service director to resign. Read more at the Times