More than 150,000 people sign petition asking Melania Trump to move to the White House

More than 150,000 people have signed a petition calling on First Lady Melania Trump to move to the White House or pay for her own security while at Trump Tower.

First Lady Melania Trump. Photo: Reuters

The petition was posted on change.org about a week ago and has attracted more than 150,000 signatures, the Independent reported on March 28. It will be presented to the Senate, Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren when it reaches 150,000 supporters.

"American taxpayers are paying a huge amount of money to protect the First Lady at Trump Tower in New York. To help reduce the national debt, this expense should be eliminated," the petition reads.

A senior aide said in February that First Lady Melania Trump and her son Barron, 10, will stay in New York until the summer so he can finish the school year before moving to Washington.

Before inauguration day, the cost of protecting Donald Trump and his family in New York was estimated at $1 million a day. The New York Police Department (NYPD) later revised the cost, revealing that the cost from election day to inauguration day, more than 2.5 months, was $24 million, according to the New York Times.

The NYPD stressed that the cost of protecting the First Lady and her son at Trump Tower is $127,000 - $146,000 a day and is expected to double if President Trump comes to New York.

Supporters of the petition left comments criticizing Melania Trump.

"If she chooses to live apart from her husband, American taxpayers will not have to pay. They have provided a perfect home that meets the requirements of every previous president," wrote Jodi Quesnell, of Wyoming.

"Living in the White House is something you have to do when you marry the president," said Sheila Forsyth, of Rhode Island. "First ladies live in the White House. We've already paid enough for Trump's golf trips," said Lyn Siegel Siegel, of New Jersey.

Petition to ask First Lady Melania Trump to move back to the White House. Screenshot.

According to VNE