NYC Mayor Asks Obama to Kindly Pay Trump's $35M Security Bill: Read the Letter

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — More than 100,000 petitioners asked NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio last week to stop pouring millions of taxpayer dollars into protecting President-elect Donald Trump's gaudy, golden penthouse in Midtown. This week, some progress on that front: The mayor has relayed their grievances (at least partially) to the Capitol.

De Blasio sent a letter to current President Barack Obama on Monday, and another to Congress, asking the federal government to "formally initiate the reimbursement process" for "up to $35 million" in Trump Tower security costs. (Scroll down to read the letters in full.)

This would cover the NYPD's Trump-related expenses from Nov. 8 through Jan. 20, when Trump will be sworn in as the nation's next president, de Blasio said.

At that point — if Trump is still living part-time in Midtown, and if his family members are still living there full-time, as he's indicated they will be — it will be up to the Trump Administration to approve any additional security reimbursements.

In a separate, more formal petition directed at Trump himself last week, two members of the New York City Council told the president-elect:

"Should you or your family members choose to reside in Trump Tower for any length of time following your inauguration, the cost of security for that time also should be borne by the federal government.

While NYPD is both equipped and able to participate in ensuring your and your family’s protection, we must not allow this cost to blow a massive hole in New York City’s budget."

The cash figures de Blasio provided Monday were a lower than from prior estimates. If the city will only be throwing $35 million into protecting Trump over two-and-a-half-months, that would mean we're spending around $500,000 per day on his security detail, not $1 million, as previously reported by CNN and other news outlets. Then again, de Blasio could be rounding down.

Below is the mayor's letter to Obama.

And here is his letter to Congress.

Lead photo by Bin Im Garten/Wikimedia