Report: Secret Service Members Are Asked to Transfer to Florida

Signs point to Trump, Melania heading to Mar-a-Lago for good after the inauguration, sources say
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 25, 2020 9:30 AM CST
Report: Secret Service Members Asked to Transfer to Florida
Members of the US Secret Service stand at their posts as President Trump speaks about the coronavirus during a press briefing in the Rose Garden of the White House on May 11, 2020, in Washington.   (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

As of Tuesday, President Trump still hadn't shown signs he's ready to concede to President-elect Biden, but there are signs he's preparing for a post-presidency life. Sources tell ABC News that the Secret Service's Miami field office has been involved in the planning of renovations to Mar-a-Lago, Trump's estate in Palm Beach, Fla., and that Secret Service agents are being asked if they'd like to transfer south to watch over Trump once he's out of office. Although Trump's primary residence was once New York, he switched residency to the Sunshine State in 2019, and it's anticipated he and wife Melania will head to Palm Beach for good after Biden is sworn in. That expectation has been bolstered by a police source that says the NYPD will be working with the Secret Service to ease restrictions around Trump Tower in Manhattan, since Trump will no longer be living there most of the time.

The Secret Service's official response to the ABC report: "For operational security reasons, the Secret Service does not discuss specifically or in general terms the means, methods, or resources we utilize to carry out our protective mission," a spokesperson says. A rep for the Trump Organization didn't offer comment. Meanwhile, a local pol says if Trump does end up spending most of his time in Florida come 2021, economic compensation will be expected. "Former presidents are entitled to lifetime Secret Service protection, which is paid for by the federal government," Democratic Rep. Lois Frankel tells the Sun Sentinel. "Should our local law enforcement incur extra costs due to Trump's residency, I expect that our congressional delegation will seek reimbursement from the federal funds." (Sources say more than 130 Secret Service agents have been sidelined due to COVID-19.)

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