USA Today reported this morning that the Secret Service is quite literally running out of money and cannot even pay their agents.
Secret Service Director Randolph Alles, who I refuse to refer to as "Tex," says more than 1,000 agents have already reached the yearly limit for overtime.
Alles said the service is grappling with an unprecedented number of White House protectees. Under Trump, 42 people have protection, a number that includes 18 members of his family. That's up from 31 during the Obama administration.
Overwork and constant travel have also been driving a recent exodus from the Secret Service ranks, yet without congressional intervention to provide additional funding, Alles will not even be able to pay agents for the work they have already done.
According to agency sources who spoke to Huffington Post reporter Christina Wilkie, morale is exceptionally among Secret Service agents because Trump treats them like shit.
Specifically, I've been told Trump doesn't respect their hours & shifts, and expects agents to fetch things for him. Both damaging morale. https://t.co/9QeQZ1yPP1
— Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) August 21, 2017
Source: "Clinton treated USSS agents like friends. Bush treated them w great respect. Obama, like family. Trump treats them like servants." https://t.co/9QeQZ1QrdB
— Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) August 21, 2017
I can't imagine that will surprise anyone who's reading this.
Secret Service Director Alles will soon take his case for more money to Congress which will almost certainly give it to him, but it's a perfect opportunity for ranking Democrats on various congressional committees to dig into exactly how much money the Secret Service is paying Trump's business. USA Today also reported that the service has spent $60,000 on golf cart rentals.
We should probably expect to see Republicans in Congress do everything they can to avoid scrutinizing Secret Service expenditures. Actually, it would not surprise me if Republicans try to insert a blank check for the agency into an unrelated bill to avoid scrutiny. They love doing that.