In a headline, President Donald Trump announced he is revoking the Secret Service protection given to Hunter Biden and Ashley Biden, son and daughter of former President Joe Biden.
The decision came shortly after the world learned that Hunter Biden had taken his 18-agent security detail on an extended luxury trip to South Africa. The report, which was first carried by The Washington Times, reportedly caught President Trump by surprise.
“I just heard about it for the first time,” Trump said in response to the report. “So he’s in South Africa. That’s really interesting. All right, I’m going to take a look at that.”
A short while later, Trump made the decision official, taking to Truth Social to share his frustration and announce the revocation of protection for both Hunter and Ashley Biden.
“Hunter Biden has been receiving Secret Service protection for years, all at the cost of the United States taxpayer. There are as many as 18 people on this detail, which is ridiculous!” Trump tweeted.
Trump seemed especially displeased about the destination. Hunter was spotted in Cape Town with his South African-born wife, Melissa. Trump has previously attacked South Africa for its land reform policies and even canceled U.S. aid to the country over human rights concerns.
“He’s now on vacation in, of all places, South Africa, where the Human Rights of people has been strenuously called into question,” Trump tweeted.
The trip also raised conservative commentator eyebrows. Laura Loomer was one of the first to call attention to Hunter’s South African vacation, referencing the cost of maintaining such a heavy security presence abroad.
Adding fuel to the fire, Hunter Biden is also in the hot seat for failing to pay legal fees in a lawsuit he filed against former Trump aide Garrett Ziegler for publishing contents of Hunter’s infamous laptop. Hunter reportedly told the court earlier this month that he was too financially strapped to continue the lawsuit.
Garrett Ziegler was quick to respond to the news of the vacated protection, tweeting on X (formerly Twitter):
Thanks for moving quickly on this, POTUS. Let Joe Biden pay for the security of this miscreant manchild.”
Interestingly, this is not the first time a president has made decisions on Secret Service protection for family members or officials. President Joe Biden had previously revoked security details for former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and special envoy Brian Hook.
Adult children of former presidents are not automatically afforded Secret Service protection under the law, although Trump had evidently extended this courtesy to Hunter Biden through July of this year.
Hunter, who had previously pleaded guilty to firearm charges and been the target of numerous tax evasion allegations, was ultimately pardoned by his father as he left office.
There has been no word from Biden’s lawyers as of yet.
