President Donald Trump announced on Monday that Hunter Biden and Ashley Biden, the son and daughter of now-former President Joe Biden, would no longer receive Secret Service protection.
Trump wrote on his personal Truth Social account that Hunter Biden in particular “has had Secret Service protection for an extended period of time, all paid for by the United States Taxpayer,” which he believes is wasteful.
“There are as many as 18 people on this Detail, which is ridiculous! He is currently vacationing in, of all places, South Africa, where the Human Rights of people has been strenuously questioned,” Trump added, noting that “because of this, South Africa has been taken off our list of Countries receiving Economic and Financial Assistance.”
Trump therefore said that “effective immediately, Hunter Biden will no longer receive Secret Service protection.”
He added that “Ashley Biden who has 13 agents will be taken off the list.”
Usually only former presidents and their spouses receive Secret Service protection for the rest of their lives, while immediate family members no longer receive protection after the term ends, according to a report from Politico.
The outlet admitted it’s unusual that Hunter, 54, and Ashley, 43, continued to receive Secret Service protection even after their father left office two months ago.
Hunter, who was previously found guilty of federal gun charges and tax violations before his father controversially pardoned him, has been criticized by Trump and other Republicans for allegedly participating in an influence peddling scheme involving his father.
Members of the Biden family, including Hunter, are accused of using their connections to Joe Biden (and his influence) to secure lucrative jobs and board appointments, even from companies in foreign nations like China and Ukraine.
Do Hunter and Ashley Biden deserve taxpayer funded security for the rest of their lives?
America First Legal produced images at the end of last year showing Biden, then the vice president, meeting with Hunter and Chinese President Xi Jinping, along with Jonathan Li and Ming Xue, Hunter’s Chinese associates from BHR Partners.
The pictures were taken in 2013 during an official tour across Asia that included a stop in Beijing.
America First Legal said that the pictures “corroborate the House Oversight Committee’s investigative findings that Hunter Biden arranged for his father to meet with Jonathan Li and other BHR executives.”
The move from Trump to remove Secret Service protection from the Biden siblings is not the first effort to end federal security for previous Biden administration associates or federal employees.
Trump also removed the security detail for Dr. Anthony Fauci, the now-retired leader of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who also led the federal COVID response.
“I think, you know, when you work for government, at some point your security detail comes off and, you know, you can’t have them forever,” Trump said.
“We took some off other people too, but you can’t have a security detail for the rest of your life because you work for government,” he added.
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