Way back when the United States was just a baby nation, its citizens built a house for their president. Not a palace for a king like the one they had shed, but a democratically suitable residence on a regular street. It was a little larger than many but with a common address — 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue — and was something they could be proud of.
It took very little time for this classic mansion to take on its own identity, separate of its occupant’s, as a place the world knew was the seat of government and a symbol of liberty. “The White House said today ...” became commonplace.
For more than 200 years, with a brief exception or two -- when the British burned it, and when Harry and Mrs. Truman moved out for repairs -- this stately residency was occupied by a family excited to be there no matter the opulence of their prior living arrangement. That is, until the voters elected a real estate mogul who is also a casino and golf course operator who decided to spend only part of his time there. In fact, his model wife and his youngest son, ostensibly to finish school, would be residing officially in a far glitzier setting with a gold motif in New York City. She would be at 1600 Pennsylvania on special occasions, of course. And Mr. Trump, meanwhile, would almost immediately begin weekending at another one of the family’s luxury sites in Florida, doing what he accused his predecessor of doing too much of, golfing. Meanwhile, most of the rest of the large, government-protected, peripatetic Trump family would also be living elsewhere.
But this is old news. What isn’t is the mounting cost of security necessary for the protection of the chief executive in so many venues in an age of terrorism. It’s an amount that’s making it difficult for the Secret Service to provide and carry out other missions without a substantial increase in its budget of some $60 million, nearly $30 million of which would go to protection. While there have been reports the Office of Management and Budget has rejected the boost, the White House (or Mar-a-Largo, or Trump Tower, or wherever) denies that. The total cost of the presidential security is usually classified, so one can only guess the full figure given the family’s size, movement and so forth.
To paraphrase the Donald, who is fond of saying, “Most people don’t know,” most Americans, and that includes me, couldn’t come close to an accurate prediction of the total amount.
The extra money may have to come from other sources in the Service’s budget, which would normally go toward other missions like counterfeiting, cybercrimes and exploited minors, according to the Washington Post. Most federal departments and agencies are facing dramatic reductions if Trump has his way. But that might not happen given growing congressional alarm.
The figures are illusive in all cases but reach into state and local pocket books heavily. The estimated costs to the New York Police Department when the president is at Trump Tower is $300,000. That declines to between $127,000 and $145,000 a day when only Mrs. Trump and the son are in residence, according to the Post. At Mar-a-Largo, Palm Beach County authorities say they have already spent $1.5 million for overtime for their force because of Trump visits. This is beyond federal outlays, of course.
All this becomes surreal when one considers that Trump during his campaign never missed a chance to criticize Barack Obama for alleged excessive travel and failure to hold down expenses. He even disavowed vacations.
One with a sense of humor most ask, “Do you serve baloney sandwiches on those flights to Florida?” But our experience of Trump’s three months in office tells us the answer to that. That kind of inconsistency can only be part of the DNA.
The Trump lifestyle does not bode well for an agency that has struggled over the years against budget cuts and increased demands and still has no recourse but to carry out its mission. Besides, Americans expect their president to occupy the home it early citizens so lovingly built.
By Dan K. Thomasson
Dan Thomasson is an op-ed columnist for Tribune News Service and a former vice president of Scripps Howard Newspapers. -- Ed.
