Trump's AmericaDonald Trump is a business mogul and one of the most entertaining people in modern media. In 2020, he's also one of the most polarizing—and potentially dangerous—figures in world history.
It's no secret that the Secret Service is going broke under Trump's regime. Some of this is due to the volume of responsibility in this administration, as Trump's already large family is multiplying at the speed of Gremlins in a pool.
The Secret Service already has it tough: it's one of the only jobs that requires its employees to take a bullet for their boss, although sometimes instead you get to arrest a guy in a Pikachu costume who scales the White House walls. And being president is also not an easy gig: even Nixon deserved his down time.
The real problem is that Trump is profiting off the Secret Service. Bigly. How Trump uses the Secret Service to his own advantage has already resulted in the department asking Congress for more money to the tune of millions of dollars. Without a bigger budget, Secret Service agents could be forced to work overtime without pay. Imagine what year two of President Trump will bring.
The Secret Service Has Already Reached Its Spending Cap
The Secret Service budget is expected to last until the end of the year, but a mere two months into the administration, the department requested that Congress lift its spending cap because it was already running low on money. Months later, with threats of unpaid employee overtime looming, the Secret Service is once again asking Congress to step in with more funding. Otherwise, agents might have to work overtime without appropriate compensation.
"The Secret Service said Monday (August 21) that it has enough money to cover the cost of protecting President Trump and his family through the end of September, but after that the agency will hit a federally mandated cap on salaries and overtime unless Congress intervenes. If lawmakers don’t lift the cap, about a third of the agency’s agents would be working overtime without being paid."
Even the Coast Guard has been feeling the economic pinch.
"The cost of protecting the president and members of the extended first family, who have traveled extensively for business and vacations, has strained the Secret Service, local governments and at least one other federal agency, the Coast Guard."
A side effect of multiple marriages is multiple children (and grandchildren). Donald Trump's well-documented procreation skills means the Secret Service now has a long list of people to protect. Five Trump children, assorted spouses, a half dozen or so grandkids and, most importantly, Jared.
"The Secret Service now protects 42 people around the clock, 11 more than it did under Obama. The Trump protection number includes 18 members of the president’s family."
Protecting the extended Trump brood has cost the Secret Service quite a pretty penny, a number that will only increase as more baby Trumps arrive.
The Secret Service is required to protect high-ranking officials, visiting dignitaries, and close associates of both which includes each of the president's family members. The budget for the Secret Service comes from the federal government, and is paid for by taxpayer dollars.
Despite their personal fortunes, the Trump family is required to have Secret Service protection at all times. Unfortunately for US taxpayers, the Trump children are frequent jetsetters, which, among other expenses, requires accompaniment by the Secret Service. This year, Eric Trump has traveled to the Dominican Republic, the UK, Dubai, and Uruguay on unofficial but fully-funded business. Ivanka Trump, along with her husband Jared Kushner and their two children, took a ski trip to Aspen, Colorado. Meanwhile, daughter Tiffany vacationed in Germany and Hungary this summer, alongside her boyfriend and a team of Secret Service members.
Melania and Donald's Long-Distance Relationship Cost Millions
"It reportedly costs the New York Police Department between $127,000 and $146,000 a day to protect the first lady and her son, and the Secret Service last month requested an additional $60 million in funding to protect the president and his family."
Living in New York City is a financial commitment for anyone, especially if one lives in Trump Tower with the Secret Service, an expensive accessory, on guard.
"The U.S. Secret Service requested $60 million in additional funding for the next year... Nearly half of the additional money, $26.8 million, would pay to protect President Trump’s family and private home in New York’s Trump Tower...while $33 million would be spent on travel costs incurred by “the president, vice president and other visiting heads of state.”
This did not sit well with the public. A change.org petition against this spending received more than half a million signatures.
Harry Truman derived his famous phrase "the buck stops here" from the slang phrase "pass the buck," acknowledging the weight of responsibility that a president's role carries. However, in the case of President Trump, it seems instead of accepting blame he passes the buck, and the "buck" keeps going. From blame shifting to questionable financial activity, Trump has disregarded most conventional White House behavior and managed to use his presidency to turn an even bigger personal profit.
CNN recently discovered that the Secret Service paid over $60,000 to Mar-a-Lago, the resort owned by the president. In other words, they paid Donald Trump in order to protect Donald Trump.
"The expense forms show that taxpayer dollars have flowed into Trump's private club as a result of his repeated visits to the so-called Winter White House, which pulls in millions a year from members who pay a premium for its oceanside amenities and bedroom suites."
The Secret Service also has to pay to stay at Trump's massively expensive properties, as do other heads of state and world leaders. Since Donald's name is above the door, much of what the Secret Service spends goes right into the pocket of the man himself.
Trump Prefers To Stay At Properties That Share His Own Name
The days of President Washington living in the $845-a-year Osgood House are long gone. Once the White House was built, presidents enjoyed a far more elegant home while in office. But even the most lavish of houses can feel like an office if you work there all the time.
Most presidents dealt with this by taking jaunts to their weekend homes. George W. had his ranch in Texas, FDR his Little White House in Warm Springs, GA. And Donald Trump has his Trump Properties. The difference? Only a Trump can afford to stay there: the annual membership fees alone doubled to $200K right after he was elected president. Trump makes money off each visit, increasing the incentive for weekend getaways to his own properties.
