President Donald Trump said Monday that he is finishing the protection of the secret service for the two adult children of his predecessor: Hunter and Ashley Biden.
“Keep in mind that, with immediate effect, Hunter Biden will no longer receive protection of the secret service,” Trump wrote in Truth Social. He added that Ashley Biden will also “be taken out of the list.”
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A secret service official said the agency was aware of Trump’s decision.
“The Secret Service will fulfill and is actively working with the protection details and the White House to guarantee compliance as soon as possible,” said the official.
A Joe Biden spokesman and a Hunter Biden lawyer did not immediately respond to comments requests on Monday night.
Trump told reporters hours before “that will be something I will see this afternoon” when asked if he planned to eliminate the security details of Hunter Biden after Biden’s recent trip to South Africa.
According to Federal Law, former presidents and their spouses receive security protection throughout their lives, unless they reject it. The Secret Service is also authorized to protect the children of former presidents until 16 years after they leave the position.
Hunter Biden is 55 years old and Ashley Biden is 43 years old.
It is common for former presidents family members to have protection of the secret service during a certain period. The children of the former presidents often receive protection of the secret service up to six months after their administrations end, but that depends on the discretion of the acting president.
Joe Biden extended security protections for his adult children until July before leaving office in January. After Trump’s first mandate ended, Biden extended protections to Trump’s adult children for six months.
Trump has finished security protections for others since he assumed the position of his second term.
In January, Trump eliminated the protection of the secret service for Dr. Anthony Fauci, who supervised the federal government’s response to the Covid pandemic. He also pulled John Bolton’s security details, a White House National Security Advisor during Trump’s first mandate who wrote a book that criticized Trump’s leadership.
“When he works for the Government, at some point his security detail follows,” Trump said at that time. “And, you know, you can’t have them forever.”
