Maybe Mexico Will Pay For It? Cities Ask For Reimbursement For Protecting Trump Family


President Donald Trump is again spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, and city officials are pressuring the federal government into covering some of the costs for protection and lost revenue when Trump comes calling.

Jeff Greene, who also owns a hotel in Palm Beach, told The Guardian he is worried that Trump’s frequent visits to the “Winter White House” (a term many rightfully loathe) are going to hurt business:

“People will just say I’m not going to stay in the Palm Beaches, I don’t need the aggravation. It’s going to grind our economy to a halt… For people in Palm Beach, it’s exciting having a president here … But you can’t close down our roads, it’s just not right. You can’t close down our town for four years, or eight years.”

There is not an exact number on how much the town loses as a result of Trump’s visits, but Palm Beach aviation officials estimated that Trump’s recent four-day visit cost more than $250,000 in lost fuel sales and landing fees. And it is not just the airline that Palm Beach wants federal assistance with, according to The Guardian:

“While the airports’ losses grow, Palm Beach is also seeking relief for security costs to protect Trump, including policing of demonstrations. About 3,000 people took part in a peaceful protest at Mar-a-Lago last weekend and another is planned for Sunday.”

Palm Beach is not the only city requesting the federal government pay up for the Donald Trump problem.

The city of New York does not feel they should be responsible for paying for the security of Donald Trump’s family. According to a New York Times report from last December, just the time between election day and Trump’s inauguration was expected to cost at least $35 million.

New York City mayor Bill de Blasio stated that this number was based on roughly $500,000 per day that the city expected to spend to secure the area around Trump Tower. It apparently caused the city and police force unprecedented (or “unpresidented,” if Trump’s twitter account is to be believed) issues to provide this type of security in the middle of New York.

Security around Trump Tower now relies on barricades, street closings, and extra police officers, many of whom are being paid overtime in order to serve and protect.

Mayor de Blasio had this to say in a press conference:

“It is a high-density neighborhood and street traffic easily obstructs pathways to and from the building, making it profoundly challenging for the NYPD to establish a secure perimeter.”

De Blasio also requested that the payments from Congress would be continued, considering Trump’s wife Melania plans to stay in New York City at least until Barron’s school year is over. Mayor de Blasio stated that he hoped Trump planned to move the majority of his team out of New York City:

“He has to do what he thinks will allow him to put together the team to govern this nation… Obviously, if it’s a jump ball, I’d say, go to that beautiful golf course in New Jersey.”

Mayor de Blasio has apparently been speaking with Stephen Mnuchin, Trump’s pick to head the Treasury department. There is no word yet on whether or not the federal government will pay for the security of the Trump family in New York or Palm Beach.

Featured Image by Wally Gobetz via Flickr/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0