Politics & Government
Secret Service Runs Out Of Money Because Of President Trump's Family And Trips: Report
The agency has already maxed out its allocated funding to pay the salaries of more than 1,000 agents, according to USA Today.

WASHINGTON, DC — President Trump's protective Secret Service agency is running on fiscal fumes, according to an excellent exclusive report by Kevin Johnson of USA Today, citing an on-the-record interview with agency Director Randolph "Tex" Alles. The agency has already blown through its allotted salary funds for more than 1,000 agents and will need to seek approval from Congress for additional spending on staff.
Secret Service agents, numbering more than 6,000, have been stretched thin by the Trump presidency largely because of two factors: the size of Trump's family and the frequency of trips. According to USA Today, the agency must protect 42 people under the Trump administration, 11 more than needed details under his predecessor. Of the 42 people with Secret Service protection, 18 are members of Trump's family.
Secret Service Can't Pay Over 1,000 Agents For The Rest Of The Year
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The president himself frequently leaves Washington, D.C., for the weekend to visit his properties in Florida, New Jersey and New York, which need full-time protection even when he is not present. Since the agency is required by law to protect the president's family, even as they take extensive business trips and vacations, Alles has no flexibility to scale back on the Secret Service operations. According to the report, overwork and frequent travelling is leading to more than usual attrition, further straining the agency.
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Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images
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