Secret Service depletes funds to pay agents because of Trump's frequent travel, large family

It would be interesting if in the middle of the year the Secret Service announced "We're broke. No money until next year. Mr. President, you'll either have to pay for us to travel with you or (horrors) stay in the White House until next fiscal year."

I'm half-expecting him to trade out the Secret Service for Blackwater at this point.

RedRajah said:

I'm half-expecting him to trade out the Secret Service for Blackwater at this point.

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Me, too - though that wouldn't solve the budget issue. (You don't think he'll pay for his security out of his own pocket, do you? And mercenaries have never worked for free...)

He (Trump Tower) refused to cut the SS a deal on rent, and thus they're currently housed in a trailer outside the building. Maybe he could hire Ted Nugent to follow him around, or his little security guys from NY, and let the SS go back to chasing counterfeiters.

Brightdreamer said:

Me, too - though that wouldn't solve the budget issue. (You don't think he'll pay for his security out of his own pocket, do you? And mercenaries have never worked for free...)

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Why should he pay for it? He's the motherfu(HUSH YOUR MOUTH!) president of the US.

I never have, and never will, understood why the Secret Service has to fully protect the president's grown-ass sons and daughters. Traveling with their dad? Yeah. Skiing every other weekend in Colorado? Hunting in Africa? Hell no.

ElaineA said:

I never have, and never will, understand why the Secret Service has to fully protect the president's grown-ass sons and daughters. Traveling with their dad? Yeah. Skiing every other weekend in Colorado? Hunting in Africa? Hell no.

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To prevent hostage-taking the president's children.

I am both amused and horrified by fiscal conservatives who screamed about Obama going to Hawaii once a year, brushing this off as a "nothing burger."

Not to worry. He'll make up the budget shortfall by taking the money from Medicaid and school lunch programs.

Xelebes said:

To prevent hostage-taking the president's children.

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I understand the "reasons". I don't think they're entirely valid ones, especially with the comingling of Trump's financial gains with the service. It's not required that they have the detail, just "authorized."

The few exceptions are Ronald Reagan's youngest son, Ron, who declined Secret Service protection during his father's second term, and Richard and Pat Nixon, who canceled their lifetime protection in 1985, to save the government money. They hired their own security detail.

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It was my understanding that Trump was also still employing his own private security detail.

What's not required is that the President of the United States take 27 golfing outings, involving major travel, in seven months.

caw

blacbird said:

What's not required is that the President of the United States take 27 golfing outings, involving major travel, in seven months.

caw

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Not to mention cover multiple adult children as they jet-set around the world on business deals for POTUS' business empire.

RedRajah said:

I'm half-expecting him to trade out the Secret Service for Blackwater at this point.

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After all the contractors he's apparently stiffed, would anyone even take that job?

He has no honor and is scum as far as I'm concerned.

Silva said:

After all the contractors he's apparently stiffed, would anyone even take that job?

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Failure to pay your mercenaries has, historically, had a bad outcome.

Silva said:

After all the contractors he's apparently stiffed, would anyone even take that job?

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Cash up front?

blacbird said:

What's not required is that the President of the United States take 27 golfing outings, involving major travel, in seven months.

caw

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He's our first president who retired while still in office.

Lyv said:

I know *45 has a thing about sleeping in his own bed and called the White House a dump, but I swear all these trips to Trump properties are mostly about the money he rakes in when he goes. Even if he didn't want to golf, I think he would just to make money from it and to show that he can be as big a hypocrite as he wants and still have support. Now, he'll go to AZ and pre-screened and possibly paid audience members will scream their adulation.

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A senator from AZ praised him to no end on NPR this morning. I was in shock. He totally swept all of the issues from the past few weeks under the rug as if they had no bearing on the GREAT Mr. Trump.

ElaineA said:

I understand the "reasons". I don't think they're entirely valid ones, especially with the comingling of Trump's financial gains with the service. It's not required that they have the detail, just "authorized."

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No one foresaw a president who, along with his family, would put his own wealth and welfare above everything else.

Previous presidents went into office to serve. Even those who made decisions I despised treated their position as an honor and a privilege.

This president thinks he's the boss of America, and as the boss, he's entitled to every little thing he can get his hands on.

We need to set limits on SS duties by statute. Set a reasonable budget that covers all necessary duties and a reasonable amount of personal travel, and a reasonable number of protectees. Anything above that has to be covered out of the protectees' own pockets. I'm saddened that we see ourselves in need of this kind of regulation, but we're proven that America is willing to put a money-grubbing entitled ass in the Oval Office, so we find ourselves in need of limits.

I'm really intrigued by how they're going to solve this. Will Trump the man-of-the-people taxcutter demand more tax dollars? Will he stop travelling (yeah, right)? Will he try to pull a fast one by robbing one bureaucratic Peter to pay another administrative Paul?