A change.org petition has gained significant momentum since its inception a week ago and the subject of this petition is the added money that is being spent by taxpayers to pay for Melania Trump’s security while living in New York. This petition seeks action from Congress for the purpose of making Melania Trump move to Washington, DC, to live in the White House or pay for her own security if she decides to stay in New York and live at Trump Tower.
The concern of the US taxpayers is the amount of money that is being paid for President Trump’s family to have two residences thus needing security in both places. This successful petition is titled “Make Melania Trump stay in the White House or pay for the expenses herself” and has already accumulated 145,800 signatures. Once the petition reaches its goal of 150,000 signatures, it will be delivered to Senators Bernie Sanders and Elisabeth Warren to enact the petitioners’ wishes.
The total cost of the Trump family security has been made common knowledge by the New York Police Department when correspondence was sent to Congress. The letter states that protecting Donald Trump and his family while they lived at Trump Tower during the two and a half month period of time, between election day and inauguration day, has cost the taxpayers $24 million. The NYPD has also stated that security costs between $127,000 and $146,000 per day to protect Melania Trump and son Barron, while they continue to live at Trump Tower. The cost is expected to increase significantly to $308,000 per day when Donald Trump stays in New York.
The petition states that US taxpayers are paying an excessive amount of money for added security to protect the First Lady Melania Trump, while she maintains a separate residence at Trump Tower in New York City. Taxpayers state they did not bargain on this added expense when Donald Trump was elected as president, therefore, they resent having to be responsible for paying it. This unnecessary expense adds to the national debt and should be cut from funding as it does not benefit this country. Since Melania Trump is the First Lady, the citizens of this country expect her to live in the White House with her husband, the President of the United States.
Signers of the petition believe that the added expense of protecting Melania Trump on a daily basis, should be stopped and that money should be channeled into the funding of more needful issues. Many of the participants in this petition believe that American citizens shouldn’t be expected to spend American tax money on the first family, especially since they are independently wealthy and can afford to pay their own expense for added security since it is their decision to have this extra expense. The taxpayers have provided an exceptional home in the White House, which has been more than accommodating to every previous president and their families, in the past. There is no reason that the Trumps should expect taxpayers to pay their bills when they are capable of paying their own bills.