In a decisive move, President Donald Trump has ordered the immediate termination of Secret Service protection for President Joe Biden’s adult children, Hunter and Ashley Biden.
Citing excessive costs and unnecessary security details, Trump announced the decision on March 17 via social media.
Scaling Back Taxpayer-Funded Security
Just weeks into his new term, Trump has taken significant steps to cut taxpayer expenses on security. In addition to the Bidens, he revoked Secret Service protection for several high-profile figures, including former National Security Advisor John Bolton, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and retired General Mark Milley, all of whom had faced credible threats from Iran due to their roles in Trump’s first administration.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, who had been receiving protection due to threats related to his COVID-19 policies, was also removed from the security detail list.
Trump’s Response to the Decision
Defending his actions, Trump made it clear that lifelong security was not a guarantee.
“When you have protection, you can’t have it for the rest of your life,” he told reporters during a visit to the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
During the tour, a reporter questioned Trump about Hunter Biden’s ongoing Secret Service protection during his vacation in South Africa.
“That will be something I’ll look at this afternoon. OK. I just heard about it for the first time,” Trump responded.
Just hours later, he made it official.
“Hunter Biden has had Secret Service protection for an extended period, all paid for by the United States taxpayer,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “There are as many as 18 people on this detail, which is ridiculous!”
Ashley Biden, who reportedly had 13 agents assigned to her, will also lose protection.
Why Now?
Trump’s disdain for Biden and his family is well known. Even after the election, he continues to criticize his predecessor’s policies and decisions.
Under federal law, children of former presidents lose Secret Service protection once they turn 16. However, both Biden and Trump had extended their children’s security details for an additional six months post-presidency. Trump’s latest move officially ends those extensions.
Trump also took issue with Hunter Biden’s recent vacation in South Africa, a country he has previously criticized for its human rights record and land redistribution policies.
Controversy Over Biden’s Pardons
Trump’s announcement comes shortly after Joe Biden issued an unprecedented pardon for his son, Hunter, covering all federal offenses from 2014 to 2024.
This sweeping pardon erased Hunter’s convictions for tax evasion and illegal gun possession.
Despite previously vowing not to intervene, Biden defended his decision:
“No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can conclude anything other than that he was singled out simply because he is my son, and that is wrong. Enough is enough.”
Before leaving office, Biden also granted preemptive pardons to several key figures, including Fauci, retired General Mark Milley, and members of the congressional committee that investigated the January 6 Capitol riot. Law enforcement officers who testified before the committee were also pardoned. Biden justified these actions by arguing that these individuals were at risk of political persecution.
Trump Declares Biden’s Pardons ‘Void’
In another bombshell statement, Trump declared that several of Biden’s last-minute pardons were “void, vacant, and of no further force or effect.”
He specifically questioned the legitimacy of pardons issued to members of the January 6 committee, alleging that they had been improperly signed using an autopen, a device that replicates signatures.
“Therefore, those on the Unselect Committee, who destroyed and deleted ALL evidence obtained during their two-year Witch Hunt of me, and many other innocent people, should fully understand that they are subject to investigation at the highest level,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
