Trump ends Secret Service protection for Hunter and Ashley Biden, citing taxpayer burden
By isabelle // 2025-03-18
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  • President Trump revoked Secret Service protection for Hunter and Ashley Biden, citing excessive taxpayer costs and Hunter’s controversial international travel.
  • Hunter Biden is currently in South Africa, reportedly avoiding a U.S. legal deposition, raising questions about taxpayer-funded protection.
  • Hunter’s South African trip includes a 12-agent Secret Service detail, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, funded by U.S. taxpayers.
  • Critics argue Hunter Biden, facing multiple legal issues, should not receive taxpayer-funded protection while evading legal proceedings.
  • Trump’s decision reflects a broader effort to reduce unnecessary government spending and reallocate resources to more pressing priorities.
President Donald Trump has revoked Secret Service protection for Hunter and Ashley Biden, citing excessive taxpayer costs and Hunter Biden’s controversial international travel. The decision, announced Monday, comes as Hunter Biden is reportedly in South Africa to avoid a legal deposition in the U.S., raising questions about the appropriateness of taxpayer-funded protection for a man facing multiple legal challenges. “Hunter Biden has had Secret Service protection for an extended period of time, all paid for by the United States Taxpayer. There are as many as 18 people on this Detail, which is ridiculous!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “He is currently vacationing in, of all places, South Africa, where the Human Rights of people has been strenuously questioned. Because of this, South Africa has been taken off our list of Countries receiving Economic and Financial Assistance.” The move underscores Trump’s commitment to reducing unnecessary government spending and reallocating resources to more pressing priorities.

Hunter Biden’s South African vacation raises eyebrows

Hunter Biden is currently in South Africa with his wife, Melissa Cohen, and their young son, Beau. Investigative journalist Laura Loomer recently shared photos of the family vacationing in Cape Town, surrounded by a large Secret Service detail. According to Loomer, the U.S. Secret Service was working with the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria to provide taxpayer-funded protection for the Biden family during their stay. “I can confirm via my on-the-ground investigation that the US Secret Service is working with the US Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, to provide US taxpayer-funded protection for Hunter Biden and his wife during their entire time in South Africa,” Loomer wrote on X. She added that the detail included 12 agents per day, with four agents working in three shifts. Hunter Biden’s trip to South Africa coincides with his efforts to avoid a deposition in a legal case involving Garrett Ziegler, who allegedly accessed and distributed contents from Hunter’s infamous laptop. Ziegler’s legal team has speculated that Hunter exaggerated financial difficulties to delay the deposition, opting instead for a three-month trip abroad.

Taxpayer costs and legal controversies

The cost of providing Secret Service protection for Hunter and Ashley Biden has drawn sharp criticism. Hunter’s detail reportedly includes 18 agents, while Ashley’s includes 13. The expense of maintaining these details, especially during international travel, has been estimated to run into hundreds of thousands of dollars. Critics argue that Hunter Biden, who has faced multiple legal issues, including convictions for firearms charges and tax evasion, should not be entitled to taxpayer-funded protection, particularly while attempting to evade legal proceedings. “American taxpayers should not have to foot the bill for a man who is actively trying to avoid the law,” said one political analyst. Under federal law, former presidents and their spouses receive lifelong Secret Service protection, but their children are only entitled to protection until they turn 16, unless extended by the sitting president. Both Trump and Biden extended protection for their children for six months after leaving office, but Trump’s decision to revoke the Bidens’ protection reflects a broader effort to reassess the use of taxpayer resources. With Hunter Biden’s legal troubles and international travel raising questions about the appropriateness of such protection, the move has been widely supported by those who believe government spending should prioritize the needs of the American people over the privileges of a select few. Sources for this article include: YourNews.com FoxNews.com DailyMail.co.uk
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