Donald Trump's Kids' Secret Service Protection Was Reportedly Pricey
When someone becomes president of the United States, their immediate family goes under the protection of the Secret Service. When former President Donald J. Trump took office, that number of protected persons skyrocketed to a record-breaking 42 people, per USA Today. According to the outlet, that protection includes watching over homes as well as joining family members on all travel.
Per the Secret Service's website, the immediate families of the president and vice president are both protected. That protection extends only to the president and their spouse for the rest of their life, even after leaving office.
But for Trump, who's known for making expensive decisions as both a private citizen and as president, like having the most expensive inauguration in U.S. history, the Secret Service was no exception. He even extended his family's protection for six months after he was out of office. That extension came to a whopping Secret Service bill total that shocked taxpayers when it was publicly acknowledged.
Protection cost taxpayers more than $1 million
When he left office, former President Donald J. Trump arranged for the Secret Service to continue protecting his four adult children and their spouses along with select staff for six months, according to The Washington Post — not a traditional practice, though not surprising for someone like Trump. The Post later uncovered that those six months cost taxpayers a whopping $1.7 million. That decision to extend protection seemed odd to some who would know, like former Secret Service agent Jim Helminski.
"Even if there was a credible risk to family and associates of Trump, these people are now private citizens who can afford to hire some very talented private security firms for their personal protection," Helminski told The Post. The outlet also mentioned the three select staffers who also received protection were Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien, and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
People pointed out that other presidents have considered family safety post-presidency before. However, when former President Bill Clinton worried about his daughter Chelsea post-9/11, he hired private security to look after her.
Trump drastically overcharged Secret Service for hotels
As part of the Secret Service's duties, they had to accompany former President Donald Trump and his family to locations around the world. That included hotels that, frequently, were Trump corporation-owned. The Washington Post reported not only were the Trump properties drastically overcharging the Secret Service for hotel stays, but the total amount for the presidency was at least $1.4 million.
"The exorbitant rates charged to the Secret Service and agents' frequent stays at Trump-owned properties raise significant concerns about the former President's self-dealing and may have resulted in a taxpayer-funded windfall for former President Trump's struggling businesses," Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) wrote to Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, per The Post.
That staggering total directly contradicts the Trump family members who said in the past that the properties were not charging Secret Service or that they received reduced rates, per U.S. News. Whatever the case may be, it's evident that the Secret Service during and shortly after Trump's presidency cost taxpayers quite a few pretty pennies.