President Donald Trump announced Monday that he is immediately revoking Secret Service protection for Joe Biden’s adult children, reversing an extension put in place before Trump left office in January.
In a post on social media, Trump objected to what he claimed was an 18-agent protective detail assigned to Hunter Biden while he was in South Africa this week. He also stated that Ashley Biden had 13 agents assigned to her security detail and declared that she too “will be taken off the list.”
There was no immediate response from Biden’s office regarding Trump’s decision.
Under federal law, former presidents and their spouses receive lifetime Secret Service protection, but security for immediate family members over the age of 16 typically ends once a president leaves office. However, both Trump and Biden had extended Secret Service protection for their children for six months beyond their terms.
While visiting the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Monday afternoon, Trump was asked by a reporter whether he would remove Hunter Biden’s security detail.
“Well, we have done that with many. I would say if there are 18 with Hunter Biden, that will be something I’ll look at this afternoon,” Trump responded, adding that this was the first time he had heard about the matter.
“I’m going to take a look at that,” he added.
The decision marks another instance of Trump using executive authority to alter post-presidency security arrangements, a move likely to spark political debate over the scope and fairness of such protections.