Mayor Bill de Blasio has reached out to the federal government to ask for help in covering the costs of securing Trump Tower, the mayor said in a press conference Tuesday.
De Blasio was in contact with Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, and said he’ll be speaking with the president elect’s team next week. The mayor said he was confident that the federal government would reimburse at lease some of the costs, as it has in other situations where the city has provided presidential security, such as during the General Assembly.
“Nothing like this has ever happened before,” de Blasio said. “No city has ever been asked to bear these kinds of costs, and I think there will be a recognition that it’s fair for there to be substantial federal reimbursement.”
He would not confirm that the securing Trump Tower cost $1 million a day, a figure reported by CNN Monday.
The situation keeps changing, de Blasio said, and the conversation with with the Secret Service to lock down what the security plan will look like only took place in the last few days.
“The situation is evolving depending on what the Trump family does,” de Blasio said.
Melania Trump has said she will remain in the Trump Tower [TRDataCustom] so that Barron Trump can complete the school year in New York. Trump has said he’ll want to spend weekends in New York. [NYP] — Chava Gourarie