“ Trump charged Secret Service exorbitant rates at his hotels, records show”

“Former president Donald Trump’s company charged the Secret Service as much as five times more than the government rate for agents to stay overnight at Trump hotels while protecting him and his family”

“Trump visited his properties more than 500 times during his presidency. The records show that the Trump Organization billed the Secret Service far higher amounts than the approved government rate — in one case charging agents $1,185 a night to stay at the Trump International Hotel in D.C.

“The records contradict the repeated claim made by Eric Trump, the president’s son and the Trump Organization’s executive vice president, that the family’s company often gave the Secret Service agents the hotel rooms “at cost” or sometimes free, providing steep discounts for the security team to stay at Trump properties”

“During Trump’s presidency, Secret Service supervisors frequently asked for special waivers to let the agency pay far more than the government-approved nightly rate for a hotel in D.C. — usually $195 to $240. Instead, they paid the higher costs the Trump Organization was charging.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/10/17/trump-secret-service-hotel-rates-records/
https://people.com/politics/trump-o...ret-service-for-mandatory-hotel-stays-report/
https://www.wlrn.org/news/2022-10-1...is-secret-service-protectors-exorbitant-rates

Which raises the question, are President’s suppose to use the office of the President to personally profit?

This is not the same as prior Presidents authoring memories, or after leaving office paid to make appearances, but documented proof that Trump, used his position while President, to make millions off of the taxpayer for his own personal gain. There certainly was a reason he took a record number of exits from DC, and nearly all to one of his resorts

And before it is offered, this is nothing comparable to the innuendo on Biden supposedly profiting off of Hunter’s businesses, so please, don’t bother with the deflection

 

did the article cite what the fee per night would be for the same room, for an avg citizen?

Personally, I never stayed at a Trump property because they are too expensive. Some folks like the properties but to me, it's not worth it.

 

I just looked up the rate for a night at Trumps hotel in NYC and they range from $600 to $1550 per night.

I doubt any of the Trumps were the people taking reservations and would scoff at anyone who thinks they did.

I didn’t read the articles which I’m sure are just more hit pieces, but do any of them cite what the SS is paying for Biden’s three and four day weekends at home?

 

I stayed in a Trump resort recently, normal regular room $850 but I got a great breakfast. I have little faith in the article, it lists one night, without any details like was it the penthouse next to the Russian Ambassador so we could spy on him or a suite for 8? Then said they frequently asked for waivers over $240 per night frequently, well what's frequently?

 

Wouldn't it be nice to never hear the name Trump in the news again?
Problem is, Trump is addicted to attention, and keeps his name in the news intentionally, holding rallies and on social media. Unfortunately, there are some people who keep supplying the attention, and funds, for Trump to keep his name relevant.
Not only that, are you saying that it was ok for the sitting president to basically rip off the American taxpayers and we should just get over it?
You can't seem to get anti-Democrat news out of your head by posting multiple threads mostly about one topic.
Some of the numbers you asked about are right there in the article. A quick check shows $670-$800/night using Kayak and Trivago. Would need to do a lot of research and know dates, occupancy and other details.
My big question is: why did the Secret Service have to rent rooms at the hotel? (which has changed names to the Waldorf Astoria, run by Hilton.)
What would be the purpose of the Secret service renting rooms there, even if it was at the approved cost?

 

If you can find an article where Democrat policies are good for small business and the regular folks, I'd be happy to post threads on them. Sadly, none can be found as that is not the Democrat platform.

As to whether I approve of the room fees; you are guessing as I made no comment

My question was.............is that the prevailing rate for the same room? Was it a suite of rooms, a single suite, basic rooms?? I find iot to be sad given the state of affairs within this nation that the Democrat media keeps looking for anything anti-Trump.

he's gone, our economy is a train wreck under full Democrat control yet now we get an article about a hotel room. OH THE HORROR

Other than rabid Democrat voters such as yourself, do you think anyone cares given the state of our economy and increased crime ?

 

“In April 2017, when Eric Trump and his wife, Lara, were staying at the Trump International Hotel in D.C., the president’s company charged the Secret Service agents $1,160 — more than four times the government rate at the time — the records show.
In November 2017, when Donald Trump, Jr., stayed at the same hotel, the government was charged $1,185 a night for his security detail staying overnight at the hotel to protect him — almost six times the government rate which varies based on time and location.”

 

the govt rate is nothing more than what the govt is willing to pay. A vendor does not need to agree to those terms. If you are all wee-wee'd up about this, call your nearest Democrat politician and demand immediate removal of Trump from office.

 

Secret service at Biden’s home in Rehoboth stay at a common looking ranch further down the street, and you are missing the point, it is not just the cost Trump demanded of the Secret Service, but the fact he personally profited off of it, substantially, Biden does not, as I said, there was reason Trump always stayed at his own properties when he left the White House for nearly everything

 

One of five hundred plus times Trump left DC to stay at one of his properties, and yes, it sites only a couple of time where the charge was over a thousand, but you really think he was giving them a deal at any of his other stops? Can you recall when he had Pence stay in his resort inIreland even though it was across the country from his destination in Dublin?

And the point is Trump personally profit off of all this, he made the bucks with the elevated fees to protect him, raked in millions in housing security alone

 

So your answer to the question posed in the topic post, “should a sitting President use the Office of the Presidency to personally profit himself,” is a regurgitation of radio rhetoric and Fox talking points regarding the economy?

 

Try it once again, the point is that Trump, currently the leading candidate for the GOP nomination, personally profited by design off of the Office of the Presidency. Not about Biden, not about the economy, not about Democrats, but a sitting President employing his position to turn a buck, lots of bucks

 

You make some good points, and sometimes the media does fall into over worry mode, and I can easily see why some Trump supporters feel as though Trump is picked on unnecessarily. However, most of the criticism Trump receives is Trump's fault, he does things, according to some on here, just to troll the Dems and opposition, so if there is blowback Trump is not an innocent recipient of it.
Not sure why you think I'm a "rabid Democrat voter", because I am a left leaning centrist, but find the liberals too far left. I am not opposed to voting for a Republican, but they have lurched toward the extremist views on things, especially the religious based policies.
The idea that one or the other party is "great" and other is "terrible" is far from the truth, in my opinion.
Espousing the policies of only one or the other is, again imo, a mistake. The extremist views need to be cut down in both parties.
Anyway, thanks for your thought out answer!

 

nope. My answer is, Democrat voters created this train wreck of an economy, open borders and increased crime.

I think those are much more important than looking for anything against a former POTUS.

 

AHH, now I understand. It's about trying to fight off the potential of a Trump run.

He'd be a lame duck from day one and nothing would get accomplished as DC would fight him.

 

This is just another example of government being really crappy at managing things. Our company has some simple travel policies. If you are on a business trip and if you are traveling to a city with a "preferred hotels" you can just ask our corporate travel agent to book a room at one you choose and you do not even see the rates. This is great if you are traveling to a big city with very high rates in the business sector. Alternately if you do not want to stay at a preferred hotel or if you are visiting a city without one you are given a budget of around $200-250 a night. If you go above that amount you cover the extra cost. I have had trips prior to covid where I had to stay 2-3 weeks in a city and instead of booking a hotel room I choose to go with an AirBnB apartment to have more space and access to a kitchen and washer and dryer. If it went over the limit I would cover it. The nice thing is you can bring your spouse along too for part of the trip.

So in the example above if Trump or his children wanted to stay at an hotel that exceeded the budgeted amount they should simply cover it out of pocket for themselves and the SS agents. Why does government have to make everything so difficult. If they do not want to pay just stay at a location that is within budget. Maybe if politician and their families can start with this simple bit of fiscal responsibility that almost everyone in the private sectors lives with they could do a better job managing the budget.

 

Part of Trump’s schtick is drawing media attention, if you recall back in the 2015 GOP primaries the other candidates were complaining because Trump monopolized the media, he purposely draws the attention, as he even once said, bad coverage is better than no coverage

But none of that relates to the topic thread, which again, should a President use his office to personally profit, and given that Trump is the leading GOP candidate heading into 2024, it is a relevant question, and not just more Trump bashing

 

I could care less about Trump supporters. I'll never understand those who literally fly a Trump flag, paint Trump on their homes etc.

i never understood the swooning and songs about Obama either. What I do find interesting is that the economy is in a shambles yet most of the media discusses what the DNC can dig up on Trump. He's not POTUS yet that's all we hear. Might it be a deflection from the train wreck we are in? The magic eight ball says YES

 

No, not even close, rather a question relevant to the Office of the President, or anyone who holds the public’s trust, should they be allowed to personally profit off of the position the people put them in?

 

Wait a minute, so now it is the Secret Service’s fault they were charged so much? You do realize that Trump personally profited off of the inflated charges? How do you explain that he even charged them for the golf carts they had to use while they protected him on the golf course (https://www.businessinsider.com/secret-service-paying-to-rent-golf-carts-trump-course-summer-2020-5), let along meals and transportation

 

It isn’t only about the rates. It’s mostly about trump directing funds into his own pocket.

 

Where in my post did I say it was the secret services fault? They are not choosing the hotels. I said if Trump or his children wanted to stay at a hotel that exceeded the budgeted limited THEY (Trump and his children) should cover the extra cost because THEY picked the hotel. Why is this so difficult. It happens in the private sector all the time. It is just like food allowances when you travel. You allocated a set amount per day and if you exceed it you pay the extra.

 

How does Trump insist that the secret service stay at one of his joints, how does he force them to do it? The SS is paying $20k a month to rent a house in Malibu just to be near Hunter Biden.

 

well gee

How much money did the Obama's have prior to being POTUS?

How much do they now have?

No pay for play there was there? No rewards for doing as they were told when he was in office? Spare me the outrage

 

That does kind of seem unethical that you choose locations that benefit your business but as long as it is not against the rules I don't have a lot of problems with it. Again if they stayed within the government budget it would not be an issue for me. If I was a rich billionaire that wanted to stay at my resorts what I would do is either give the SS the rooms for free or just bill the rate allowable under the government max assuming his rooms are above this rate.