Thursday, November 24, 2016

What did Donald Trump do today?

He declined comment, through his business organization, on a report that the Secret Service was in negotiations with Trump's business to lease the space needed to protect Trump himself when he stays in New York, and his wife and young son who will be living there indefinitely.

The retail price of the floors is $3,000,000 per year, at least for now. By way of comparison, this is more than 100 times more than the Secret Service paid to rent a cottage owned by Joe Biden adjacent to his house ($26,400/year). 

Trump has enjoyed a string of sudden reversals of fortune in his business affairs since being elected on Nov. 8. This would be another; the two floors under consideration are currently vacant, and Trump Tower has been suffering from unusually low occupancy overall recently.

So what?

  • As long as Trump or his heirs remain in direct control of his business empire, the Secret Service will be paying him for the privilege of protecting him.