Going off to college is an important rite of passage for many young adults — even the son of a former president. But the latest college update about Barron Trump suggests he'll be taking more than just school supplies to New York in the fall.
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00:00Going off to college is an important rite of passage for many young adults,
00:04even the son of a former president. But the latest college update about Barron Trump
00:08suggests he'll be taking more than just school supplies to New York in the fall.
00:12We already know that Melania Trump will likely spend the next four years in New York to be
00:16close to her only son when he attends college.
00:18He's always been a very good student, smart."
00:20However, several media outlets have revealed that Barron will also have
00:24Secret Service protection on campus. Although the idea of a Secret Service entourage may
00:28sound a bit invasive, former agent Paul Ekloff explained the importance of this
00:32protection to The Independent. He told the outlet,
00:35"[The general threat environment that we face in the 21st century is greater than it has ever been.
00:39People's location and activities tend to be more publicly known, and social media is more reactive."
00:45Social media can pose significant dangers for famous young adults like Barron,
00:48such as when Malia Obama's arrival at Harvard caused a firestorm in 2017.
00:53Many excited fans tweeted and posted photos of the first daughter on move-in day,
00:57sharing details that could have put her at risk. Having the Secret Service on hand will help ensure
01:01Barron can safely enjoy the college experience, especially in a densely populated area like
01:06Manhattan. In spite of the obvious benefits, however, Secret Service protection wasn't
01:10necessarily a guarantee for Barron. The former President's Protection Act of 2012
01:14only mandates this benefit until the age of 16 for the children of former presidents.
01:19Barron was just 14 years old when his father's first presidential term ended, in 2020,
01:23so it's unlikely he needed the type of individual Secret Service protection he'll have access to in
01:28college. However, Donald wasn't ready to let his other children go without this presidential benefit
01:32so soon. In early 2021, People reported that Donald extended Secret Service protection for
01:38all four of his adult children for six months after he left office.
01:41"'Look, I have great confidence in the Secret Service.'"
01:44If the cost of living like Donald Trump doesn't already seem astronomical,
01:48you may be shocked by how much this short-term protection cost American taxpayers.
01:52According to documents obtained by The Washington Post, the Secret Service kept his children and
01:56some of his staffers safe to the tune of $1.7 million. Former Secret Service executive Jim
02:02Helminski explained why the Secret Service following the Trump kids on trips and vacations
02:06around the globe was controversial. Helminski told the outlet,
02:09"'Even if there was a credible risk to family and associates of Trump,
02:12these people are now private citizens who can afford to hire some very talented private
02:16security firms for their personal protection.'"
02:18Though Barron's protection is more understandable, we can only imagine how
02:22much it will add to the Trump family's Secret Service cost when all is said and done.