Who should pay for security at Trump Tower?
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has requested $35 million from The White House to cover the costs of amped-up security for President-elect Donald Trump and his family.
While Mr. Trump is slated to move to The White House himself following inauguration on Jan. 20, the president-elect has already noted that he intends to spend as much time in New York as possible, and will likely go back to his on free weekends. His wife, Melania, plans to continue to live in the city full time at least until their son Barron鈥檚 school year comes to a close next spring.
That plan raises concerns for the New York City Police Department, which is currently aiding the Secret Service to ensure the Trump family鈥檚 safety 鈥� and racking up costs of some $400,000 daily in doing so. While New York City鈥檚 police force is the nation鈥檚 largest, it鈥檚 also tasked with protecting 8.5 million residents and more tourists in a 300 square-mile area, and maintaining additional security forces for Trump presents another challenge to the department.
"We will be continuing very aggressively in the next few days 鈥� calls and meetings with members of the Obama administration and Congress 鈥� to nail down the reimbursements for the time between Nov. 8 and Jan 20," Mr. de Blasio said Monday. "That will be the responsibility of the current administration."
In a two-and-a-half page letter addressed to President Obama and posted on Twitter, de Blasio outlined the security concerns related to protecting Trump in the densely populated New York midtown neighborhood where Trump Tower stands.
鈥淟ocating a residence within New York City that requires ongoing Presidential-level security presents ,鈥� the letter says. 鈥淚t is a high-density neighborhood and street traffic easily obstructs pathways to and from the building, making it profoundly challenging for the NYPD to establish a secure perimeter.... The cost of providing the President-elect with the appropriate level of security throughout the transition period is substantial and, as of now, borne exclusively by New Yorkers.鈥�
Trump won鈥檛 be the first president seeking to after moving into The White House. Former President George W. Bush took 879 vacation days during his two terms, returning to his Texas ranch 77 times, and John F. Kennedy spent nearly every weekend of his short presidency at one of the Kennedy family properties. Mr. Obama had only taken about 150 days off as of late 2014.
Because the president remains responsible for certain duties while on vacation and must bring the Secret Service along with him, the trips can become pricey for taxpayers. Operating Air Force One costs about $180,000 an hour, and presidential vacations often cost taxpayers around $1 million, even though the president must foot the bills related to lodging or food for the first family.
It鈥檚 unclear how much Trump and his affinity for his namesake New York tower will cost taxpayers over the long haul, but it currently costs the city millions each week.
鈥淧rotecting the President-elect and his family through the inauguration and beyond is a responsibility that New York City takes seriously,鈥� de Blasio鈥檚 letter says. 鈥淗owever, the expense associated with protecting him in the midst of a dense city that is home to 8.55 million residents is logistically complex and requires a significant commitment of resources.鈥�
