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Secret Service might rent a floor in Trump Tower
Secret Service considering renting a floor at Trump Tower to protect future first family
Story highlights
- A law enforcement official says security plans would differ if the Trumps lived at the White House full time
- Trump Tower is owned by Trump Corporation, so the USSS may rent space from Trump's company
(CNN)The
US Secret Service is considering renting one floor in Trump Tower to
protect President-elect Donald Trump and his family by turning it into a
24-7 command post, a law enforcement official told CNN Friday.
According
to Jared Horowitz, who is with Newmark Grubb Knight Frank and
responsible for available commercial space at Trump Tower, the floors
available to rent with the average floor office space running between
13,500 square feet to 15,500 square feet cost about $1.5 million a year.
The
law enforcement official says the current plans for security at Trump
Tower would differ if the future first family were living at the White
House full time and Trump's wife Melania and their son Barron were not
staying behind in New York City through the Spring.
Once
the Trumps live at the White House full time the USSS will have to
reassess what kind of a security presence will be needed at Trump Tower,
depending on how often Trump and his family return to New York City.
The
official says this kind of planning is typical for the Secret Service
after every election but "what is unordinary is that the President Elect
lives on 5th Avenue."
What
is also unprecedented is that the building is owned by the Trump
Corporation so the USSS would be renting the space from Trump's company
for protecting him and his family.
The
official said a lot of details still need to be ironed out and the
security plan is "evolving every day." As of now, this official adds
more than 100 USSS personnel would be needed for the 24-7 shifts to
protect the future First Family.
New
York City Police Department would also be a part of the security
detail, mostly being used to secure the streets around the building. A
separate law enforcement official said the number of NYPD cops
protecting Trump Tower could grow to 300 at a cost of about $1 million a
day. The official saying a separate command might be needed just to
focus on security for the future President.
The USSS would be primarily responsible for protecting the residence and the NYPD primarily responsible for outside security.
Ron
Kessler, an expert on the US Secret Service, says it is "standard for
the Secret Service to have these kinds of costs." It's a practice that
he says goes back at least to Richard Nixon administration.
And
he says that in the end it may actually "save the government money"
because without renting space agents working to protect the
President-elect could be staying in hotels. By renting at Trump Tower
they can live in the building during the Trump presidency.
Kessler
says he is not sure who negotiates the real estate contracts but that
Government's General Services Administration could be involved.
Kessler
says VP Joe Biden has a habit if traveling back and forth between
Washington and Wilmington, Delaware, several times a week, which has
increased costs of his protection.
The USSS declined to comment on security precautions being taken for Trump and his family. The New York Post first reported that the USSS was eying two floors at Trump Tower to provide security for the President-elect and his family.
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