In a decisive move, President Donald Trump has ordered the immediate cessation of Secret Service protection for Hunter and Ashley Biden, the adult children of former President Joe Biden. This decision comes amid concerns over the extensive use of taxpayer funds allocated for their security details.
Hunter Biden, 55, a lawyer and artist, had been accompanied by as many as 18 Secret Service agents during a recent trip to South Africa. President Trump criticized this level of protection as “ridiculous,” especially considering the significant public expenditure involved. Similarly, Ashley Biden, 43, a social worker and fashion designer, had 13 agents assigned to her security detail. Trump expressed that such extensive protection for adult children of former presidents is an unreasonable use of public resources.
Traditionally, Secret Service protection is mandated for former presidents and their spouses for life. Their children, however, are only covered until the age of 16. Upon leaving office, Joe Biden had extended security coverage for his children for an additional six months, a practice President Trump also followed for his own children in 2021. Trump’s recent decision aligns with his earlier actions of withdrawing Secret Service details from other discretionary protectees who had been critical of him, including former National Security Adviser John Bolton and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
This development has sparked discussions about the appropriate use of taxpayer funds for the security of former presidents’ family members, especially when they are adults leading independent lives. As of now, there has been no immediate reaction from the Biden family regarding the termination of Secret Service protection for Hunter and Ashley Biden.
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