Trump deprives Biden’s children of security services protection
18 March 22:04
US President Donald Trump has canceled secret service protection for the children of his predecessor Joe Biden.
He announced this on his social network Truth Social, Komersant ukrainskyi reports.
Trump said that 18 people were involved in the protection of Hunter Biden and that “the taxpayers of the United States paid for it.”
“Now he is vacationing in South Africa, where human rights are in sharp question. Because of this, South Africa has been removed from our list of countries receiving economic and financial assistance,” Trump wrote.
He announced that from now on, Hunter Biden will no longer have the protection of the Secret Service. Neither will Ashley Biden, who, according to Trump, had 13 agents to protect her.
According to Reuters, Trump made this announcement a few hours after a reporter asked him about the details of Hunter Biden’s security. He said he was not aware of it, but would look into it.
What is known about the US law on former presidents.
The US Former Presidents Act is a United States federal law passed in 1958 that provides certain lifetime benefits to former US presidents who have not been removed from office.
What benefits do former US presidents have?
According to the law, all former presidents who have not been removed from office are entitled to the following benefits:
Pension. The U.S. Treasury Department pays presidents a pension, which is, however, subject to taxation. Former presidents receive a pension equal to the salary of the head of an executive department (Level I). The pension is granted immediately upon leaving the office of the President of the United States. [Spouses of former presidents may also receive a lifetime annual pension of $20,000 if they forego any other government pensions.
Transition payments. Transition payments are available for seven months immediately after leaving office. These expenses cover office rent, employee salaries, communication services, printing and postage that are necessary during the transition period.
Staff. Personal staff and their funding are provided by the General Services Administration. The staff is hired personally by the former president and is accountable only to him. Each former president approves base salaries for individuals working for him or her, up to a maximum of $150,000 in total for the first 30 months and $96,000 thereafter.
Health insurance. Former presidents have the right to receive medical care in military hospitals, for a fee set by the Office of Management and Budget. Presidents who have served two terms can purchase health insurance under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.
Security. From 1965 to 1996, former presidents were provided with Secret Service protection: for themselves, their spouses, and children under 16. In 1994, the duration of the protection was reduced to 10 years for presidents who take office starting in 1997. Under this provision, Bill Clinton still had lifetime protection, and all subsequent presidents would only have 10-year protection. But on January 10, 2013, President Barack Obama signed the Former Presidents Protection Act, which restored lifetime Secret Service protection for his predecessor George W. Bush (Bill Clinton’s successor), for himself, and for all subsequent presidents. Richard Nixon refused protection in 1985, and so far he is the only former president to do so.
