Trump May Be The Most Hated President-elect Ever-- But Who Pays For All The Extra Security?

This evening, a backpack— which turned out to be filled with toys— was found at Trump Tower and a near panic ensued as people were ordered out of the building by the New York Police Department. (And you thought eviction king Steven Mnuchin was good at getting people out of their homes!) I don’t know what that evacuation cost the NYPD and the NYFD, but I bet it was a lot more than New York taxpayers want to pay. And Trump’s not even in NY; he’s at his Mar-A-Lago estate in Florida.

Trump lost New York State badly— 4,547,218 (59.0%) to 2,814,346 (36.5%)— and he lost Manhattan by an astounding 515,481 (86.36%) to 58,935 (9.8%). Yep, less than 10% of his hometown voted for him. New Yorkers have been acquainted with Donald Trump too intimately and for too many years to fall for the con-job. Nor do they want to be taxed for his security.

Alan Grayson— who was originally from the Bronx but lives in Orlando— picked up on that and wrote another bill Paul Ryan is blocking from getting debated and voted on— one to force Trump to pay his own extra security costs. Grayson called him "the biggest welfare queen of all. He hasn’t even been sworn into office yet, and he’s already hitting up the taxpayers for $500,000 a day – to guard just one of his splentillion properties. Trump Towers, New York. $500,000 per day in security costs, now being paid by the taxpayers of New York. While the Secret Service ponders whether to rent out two entire floors, also at taxpayer expense. Trump says that he’ll be tough on the Chinese. Meanwhile, we’re borrowing from the Chinese to cover the federal deficit – including all the cost of providing security to Trump properties, worldwide. I can’t stand it anymore. So I did something about it. I introduced HR 6506."

SECTION 1. PRESIDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO PAY FOR ADDITIONAL SECURITY COSTS ON PROPERTY OWNED BY THE PRESIDENT.

         (a) In General.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the President shall be personally responsible for paying for any additional security measures, including protection from the United States Secret Service, with respect to property that the President holds a direct or indirect ownership interest. In this subsection, the term “property” includes any property from which the President receives or may receive any actual or potential revenue, including royalties, interest, dividends or distributions.

Grayson told his supporters that he’s “sure that Trump International Golf Links Scotland, which Trump visited during the Presidential campaign, is a lovely golf course, bringing many hours of joy to idle rich. Also the one in Ireland, the one in Dubai, and the future ones in Cuba, which Trump’s minions illegally scouted out during the embargo. They’re all very bigly, I’m sure. But I don’t want to have to pay to keep them safe and, I’m guessing, neither do you. Hence my bill, HR 6506. It’s bad enough that the Cheater-in-Chief doesn’t pay taxes. But it’s worse when he’s wasting ours. Let the billionaire pay for his own security blanket.”