One of the perks that comes with the U.S. presidency is the constant protection of the Secret Service — a privilege to which all immediate family members are entitled during the president’s term in office. Former President Donald Trump was no exception, but as with everything surrounding his term, it was something of a roller-coaster ride for the agents involved. For example, the Secret Service detail assigned to Ivanka Trump had no convenient place to rest or use the bathroom when they were guarding her home. They had to use a portable outhouse for a while before the agency finally rented a basement apartment across the street from Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner — for a mere $3,000 a month.
Now, a new book about the Secret Service reveals additional details about the Trump administration. The British paper The Guardian got an advance copy of “Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service,” by Washington Post reporter Carol Leonnig, and offered readers a preview of the most newsworthy sections. For example, Leonnig says Trump was selective about the appearance of the agents assigned to his family, reportedly saying, “I want these fat guys off my detail. How are they supposed to protect my family when they can’t even run down the street?” (The book suggests that the former president may have confused his official security with agents working in the office.)
But more eye-opening still is the revelation that two Trump family members may have been overly cozy with their protectors.
A Trump daughter and daughter-in-law may have gotten too friendly with agents
Leonnig’s tell-all claims that both Tiffany and Vanessa Trump dated their Secret Service agents at some point during the four-year term. Tiffany, Trump’s daughter with second ex-wife Marla Maples, “began spending an unusual amount of time alone with a Secret Service agent on her detail” after splitting with a boyfriend. Although both Tiffany and the agent denied a romance, they appeared to be a little too close for comfort; Secret Service agents are forbidden to get personal with the people they guard. The agent was eventually reassigned, but if Tiffany was upset about this, she quickly got over it. In January 2021, right before her father left office, she announced her engagement to businessman Michael Boulos.
Vanessa Trump’s case is a little less sticky. She allegedly began dating her former Secret Service agent in 2018, shortly after filing for divorce from first son Donald Trump Jr. While this may not have been the most ethical move on the agent’s part, it was still considered acceptable because Vanessa was no longer under the agency’s protection at the time.
At press time, there was no indication that the book contains any late-breaking details about the agency’s relationship with President Biden and his family. However, The Atlantic has stated that Biden already has a good rapport with his Secret Service leaders, dating back to the time when he was vice president under Barack Obama.
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