In a remarkable break from precedent, Donald Trump plans to bring members of his longtime private security team with him to the White House, according to a Politico report out Monday.
Most presidential candidates drop any outside security after they’re granted Secret Service protection, as Trump was in November 2015. However, Trump spent over $1 million on private security contractors over the last 13 months, according to Politico.
The private security team has stood watch at every stop of the President-elect’s “thank you tour” through the cities that earned him the White House. That team is headed by Keith Schiller, a retired New York City cop who was hired as Trump’s personal bodyguard in 1999 and promoted to head of security for the Trump Organization in 2004.
Schiller and his men were fixtures at Trump’s campaign events, where they were tasked with waiting in the wings as Trump addressed supporters before forcibly removing protesters. Three lawsuits have been filed against Trump, his campaign or the private security detail by protesters who allege racial profiling or undue force by the individuals who removed them from the venues.
Several Trump associates told Politico that the President-elect plans to make Schiller a personal White House aide who would act as a “full-time physical gatekeeper.”
Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks declined to answer the site’s questions about who is paying the private security officials, their relationship with the Secret Service and what role they are expected to play after Trump’s inauguration.
I don’t have stats to prove this, but law enforcement, I believe, supported Trump. Nice to know he hs such faith in them.
I can imagine the turf battles and general shenanigans with a “private” security force protecting Trump while the Secret Service does their best to not get in the way.
Does the Secret Service clear the private detail or does the private detail clear the Secret Service?
Any ideas where the kill zone around and within Trump Tower now extends?
So…in this ‘new world order’ how paranoid do you have to BE?
Well, here’s a little warning for Pepe: Praetorian Guards don’t always behave as expected.
Should I ask this? No, but I will: what is the matter with people? Is this not the trappings of tyranny that you kept accusing Obama of? Oh, wait, I remember: black guy.