In a bold move, President Donald Trump has ordered an immediate halt to Secret Service protection for President Joe Biden’s two adult children — Hunter and Ashley Biden.
Trump cited excessive costs and large security details as reasons for the decision, which he announced on March 17 via social media.
Just weeks into his new term, President Donald Trump wasted no time in cutting back on taxpayer-funded security, revoking Secret Service protection for several high-profile figures.
Among those affected were 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 under protection following numerous threats related to his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, was also dropped from the list.
Confronted by a reporter
Defending the move, Trump made it clear that lifetime security wasn’t something he was willing to grant.
“When you have protection, you can’t have it for the rest of your life,” he told reporters at the time.
While touring the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on Monday, President Donald Trump was confronted by a reporter about Hunter Biden’s Secret Service protection during his vacation in South Africa.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
“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, Trump made his decision official, announcing on Truth Social that Hunter Biden’s security detail was being revoked immediately.
“Hunter Biden has had Secret Service protection for an extended period of time, all paid for by the United States Taxpayer,” Trump wrote. “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?
That Donald Trump isn’t exactly a fan of Biden and his family is no secret. Even though their election battle is now in the past, the president frequently brings up his predecessor and his actions.
Former presidents and their spouses are entitled to lifelong Secret Service protection after leaving office, unless they decide to forgo it.
Drew Angerer / Getty Images
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 aim at Hunter Biden’s recent travels, emphasizing that he was vacationing in South Africa — a country Trump has criticized for human rights concerns and land confiscation policies.
Biden’s controversial pardons
Trump’s announcement comes shortly after Joe Biden issued a sweeping pardon for his son, Hunter Biden, covering all federal offenses from 2014 to 2024.
This unprecedented move erased Hunter’s convictions for tax evasion and illegal gun possession.
Despite previously vowing not to interfere, Biden defended his decision, saying: “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 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 those 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 pardons for 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.