March 17 (UPI) — President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he has “immediately” revoked Secret Service protection for two of former President Joe Biden’s children, Ashley and Hunter.
In a post on Teruth Social, Trump expressed outrage that 18 agents were assigned to Hunter, 55, while he was in South Africa this week. Ashley Biden, 43, has 13 agents assigned to her detail.
He wrote, “There are as many as 18 people on this Detail, which is ridiculous! He is currently vacationing in South Africa, where people’s human rights have been severely questioned. As a result, South Africa has been removed from our list of countries that receive economic and financial assistance.
Earlier, during a tour of the Kenedy Center for the Performing Arts, a reporter asked Trump about the taxpayer-funded visit.
Trump said he would look into it.
According to former White House aide Garrett Ziegler, “Trump should strip his Secret Service protection, which he is not entitled to, and make Joe Biden, who is collecting three handsome federal pensions, foot the bill.”
Former Presidents and their spouses, as well as immediate family members under the age of 16, are required by federal law to receive lifelong Secret Service protection. If the spouse remarries, protection ends. The law was amended in 2013.
Trump and Biden extended their children’s details for six months before leaving office.
Earlier, Trump terminated Secret Service protection for his former national security adviser John Bolton, as well as federal protection for his former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his top aide, Brian Hook, despite Iranian threats.
Trump also removed federal protection for Dr. Anthony Fauci, an infectious disease expert who advised him on the COVID-19 pandemic.
