As we reach the twilight of 2016, I realize that no horror or indignity can be brushed away as an impossibility. David Bowie and Prince are not, in fact, immortal. After 400 years, Native Americans are still fighting for just sovereignty over their land. The country elected a misogynist double-chinned boil as president of the United States. Oh, and about that — the Secret Service might need to rent a floor of Trump Tower in order to accommodate said presidential boil’s security needs.
As CNN reports, one floor of Trump Tower may be converted into a round-the-clock command post. This safety precaution will cost the government roughly $1.5 million per year and the money will be pocketed by—yes, you are correct, my darlings—Donald Trump’s company.
The reason for the rental? Melania and Barron Trump will remain in Manhattan through the spring, thus complicating security measures. But Trump has already indicated that he would like to return to Trump Tower as much as possible. Thus, even after his wife and son have joined him in the White House, a New York Secret Service presence of some kind will be necessary. And as it stands, the USSS will need to increase their personnel by 100 for the 24/7 shifts.
One law enforcement official remarks that this sort of planning is not remarkable — but “what is unordinary is that the President Elect lives on 5th Avenue.” And again, there’s that teensy matter of the United States government paying the Trump Corporation to protect the First Family.
The New York Police Department will be the primary security providers outside of Trump Tower, with the Secret Service covering the building itself.
Secret Service expert Ron Kessler notes that it’s “standard to have these kinds of costs,” and that the practice began as early as the Nixon administration. Even Vice President Joe Biden has required more costly protection due to his frequent trips to Wilmington, Delaware. The government might in fact save money by renting space in Trump Tower since the USSS could live on-site rather than in hotels. That’s a plus, I suppose.
I wonder why I don’t feel better.