By Hannah Morse
The Palm Beach Post
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Providing security for President Donald Trump when he visited the West Palm Beach area during the 2018-19 fiscal year cost the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office more than $3.86 million in overtime. It’s the second-highest accrual the sheriff’s office has racked up in the three years Trump has been president.
For the previous fiscal year, PBSO billed the federal government a much higher amount —$5.6 million —for his visits between November 2017 and April 2018. Those costs were covered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Presidential Residence Protection Assistance Grant. PBSO’s costs for the president’s visits during the first part of 2017 totaled nearly $3.3 million.
The drop-off in PBSO costs from last year may be explained by the 35-day federal government shutdown from December to January. Because of the shutdown, Trump canceled his plans to spend 17 days at Mar-a-Lago over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, and instead stayed in Washington.
Trump last visited his Palm Beach club during the Easter holiday. Although the fiscal year doesn’t end until Sept. 30, Trump likely won’t be back until November for Thanksgiving, if previous trends of his visits are any indication.
Local law enforcement agencies partner with the U.S. Secret Service to provide security during presidential visits. Although West Palm Beach and Palm Beach police departments do aid in protection, PBSO acts as the lead and therefore provides more services. Previously, the police departments had requested reimbursement for a combined amount of more than $175,000.
Trump’s first visit this fiscal year was for the Thanksgiving holiday, during which he called U.S. troops stationed overseas and handed out subs at the Riviera Beach Coast Guard station. He spent some time at his West Palm Beach golf club before tucking into Thanksgiving dinner at Mar-a-Lago.
His post-shutdown visits began with Super Bowl weekend, when he hosted a watch party his West Palm Beach golf club.
Other visits to Palm Beach County saw Trump golfing with conservative radio personality Rush Limbaugh, golf professional Jack Nicklaus and rocker Kid Rock.
But Washington was never too far away. As Trump left Mar-a-Lago on the evening of March 24, U.S. Attorney General William Barr released a summary of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference. Trump then claimed “complete and total exoneration.”
Nearly a week later, while the president was in town, U.S. Secret Service agents said a 32-year-old Chinese woman lied to gain access to Mar-a-Lago to attend a non-existent event.
