President Donald Trump has revoked Hunter Biden and his South African wife, Ashley Biden's security detail.
Image: Robyn Beck / AFP
Hunter Biden and his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, have travelled to Cape Town accompanied by a staggering 18 Secret Service agents—a move that raises eyebrows and paints an unsettling picture of the country’s safety.
Hunter Biden and his South African-born wife Melissa Cohen were spotted walking Cape Town with their Secret Service detail this week
While security for high-profile individuals is understandable, this level of protection seems excessive, sending the message that South Africa is a destination to be avoided.
Such high-profile security measures may deter tourism, particularly among Americans considering a visit to South Africa.
President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he is immediately terminating Secret Service protection for Joe Biden's adult children, Hunter and Ashley Biden.
In a social media post, Trump expressed his disapproval of what he said were 18 agents assigned to Hunter Biden's security detail during his visit to South Africa this week. Hunter’s wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, is originally from South Africa.
Trump also said that Ashley Biden, who he claimed had 13 agents assigned to her, would be “taken off the list.”
The former president had extended the protection to July shortly before leaving office in January.
“Hunter Biden has had Secret Service protection for an extended period of time, all paid for by the United States taxpayer,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“There are as many as 18 people on this detail, which is ridiculous! He is currently vacationing in, of all places, South Africa, where the human rights of people have been strenuously questioned.
“Because of this, South Africa has been taken off our list of countries receiving economic and financial assistance. Please be advised that, effective immediately, Hunter Biden will no longer receive Secret Service protection.”
While former presidents and their spouses receive lifetime Secret Service protection under US law, protection for their adult children typically ends with the presidency.
Outgoing presidents have the discretion to extend this protection for up to six months. Both Biden and Trump, following the precedent of former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, exercised this option for their families.
In December, in one of his last acts as president, Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden, who was convicted of three federal gun felonies and federal tax charges in 2024.
"We are aware of the President's decision to terminate protection for Hunter and Ashley Biden," the Secret Service said in a statement.
"The Secret Service will comply and is actively working with the protective details and the White House to ensure compliance as soon as possible."
Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel
IOL Travel
Related Topics:
