US Secret Service forced to leave Trump Tower due to rent dispute

The Secret Service team protecting the US President was forced to leave its post at Trump Tower due to a disagreement over the location's lease.

The US Secret Service has left Trump Tower. Photo: AP.

The US Secret Service, stationed in Trump Tower in Manhattan to protect President Donald Trump's family, had to move out due to disagreements with the Trump Organization over lease terms, the Washington Post reported today.

The Secret Service had previously rented a space on the floor below the Trump family's apartment in the tower to house monitors and emergency personnel. However, since early July, the group has had to move to a mobile home on the sidewalk of Trump Tower, 50 floors below the President's family's apartment.

President Trump has not been to Trump Tower since taking office earlier this year. First Lady Melania Trump and her son moved to Washington in early June. However, the Secret Service still considers Trump Tower the president's private residence, requiring full-time surveillance. They are required to be present in the building if Mr. Trump or family members visit.

The dispute between the Secret Service and the Trump Organization is largely over the rent and other terms of the lease, two sources said. The Trump Organization has said it has no intention of allowing the Secret Service back into Trump Tower anytime soon.

"After much consideration, it was mutually decided that it would be more cost-effective and logistically practical for the Secret Service to lease space elsewhere," said Amanda Miller, a spokeswoman for the Trump Organization.

However, Secret Service officials said they still hope to lease space in Trump Tower, saying they are in talks to “secure a permanent position in a suitable location.” Secret Service spokeswoman Catherine Milhoan said the move has no impact on the agency’s security plans.

The Pentagon agreed in July to pay more than $130,000 a month to rent space in Trump Tower to house the White House Military Room, which provides communications and manages the "nuclear football," the briefcase that allows the president to order a nuclear attack. The rent is considered the most expensive in New York.

According to VNE