How Trump Can Make Money Off The Secret Service
When it comes to political campaigns, the U.S. Secret Service pays for agent travel, be it on aircraft, trains, boats or automobile.
Unlike Clinton, Trump didn’t need to charter an airplane since he flew on his own jets. As a result, while the Secret Service chipped in for its share of what the Clinton campaign paid to charter a plane, when it came to Trump’s campaign, the federal agency effectively just paid him.
For travel on Trump’s black-and-red Boeing 757 and Cessna Citation jet, the candidate’s aviation company TAG Air Inc. has raked in almost $6 million, Politico reported. These payments, Secret Service spokesman Joe Casey said, accord with FEC rules specifying that those traveling with a campaign—including the news media—must pay for their travel.
For any of the Trump or Pence clans assigned a protective detail due to safety risks—and the rancor of the 2016 vote could well produce many—Secret Service travel on a Trump-owned plane means the agency would need to reimburse the aircraft’s owner. In this case, the president.