Henry Kissinger praises 'professionalism and courtesy' of TSA agents after pat down

Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger recently received a pat-down from the Transportation Security Administration.

But unlike many receipts whose pat-downs become news, Kissinger said this week that the TSA agents who patted him down at LaGuardia Airport on May 11 did a good job.

"Dr. Kissinger wants to make clear that it is not unusual for him to be patted down during security screening at the airport," Kissinger's office said in a statement. "It is routine because he wears a brace on his foot and therefore cannot remove his shoes at the screening checkpoint." 

Lawmakers have sharply criticized TSA for its airport security procedures, especially its pat-down hand searches. A pair of lawmakers, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Rep. Francisco "Quico" Canseco (R-Texas), accused the agency of invading their privacy this year. 

But Kissinger, who served under Presidents Nixon and Ford, said this week that he "would like to commend the professionalism and courtesy of the TSA agents in performing an important job."

In response to a request for comment from The Hill on Wednesday, TSA said there was "no indication of anything out of the ordinary with Mr. Kissinger's checkpoint experience."

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