Trump Terminates Secret Service Protection for Hunter and Ashley Biden

March 17, 2025 TruthUSA

Trump has canceled the security measures for former President Joe Biden’s adult children, pointing to costs borne by taxpayers.

President Donald Trump has announced the discontinuation of Secret Service protections for former President Joe Biden’s two adult children—Ashley Biden and Hunter Biden—explaining that the extensive nature of their security teams was excessively costly to taxpayers.

The decision, made public on March 17 through a social media post, is part of a broader pattern of terminations directed by Trump for individuals previously afforded Secret Service protections that he views as unnecessary. Other notable figures impacted by similar actions include former national security advisor John Bolton and former White House COVID-19 advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci.

“Hunter Biden has enjoyed Secret Service protection for a prolonged time, all at the expense of the United States taxpayer,” Trump stated in his post. “There are as many as 18 individuals on this Detail, which is preposterous!”

According to federal law, former presidents and their spouses are entitled to lifetime Secret Service protection, while their children over the age of 16 lose this protection after the president leaves office. Nonetheless, both Trump and Biden chose to extend protective measures for their children for an extra six months following the end of their terms.

In his announcement, Trump also pointed out that Hunter Biden was currently vacationing in South Africa, a nation the president has publicly criticized for purported human rights violations.

“Please be advised that, effective immediately, Hunter Biden will no longer have Secret Service protection. Likewise, Ashley Biden, who has 13 agents, will be removed from the list,” Trump expressed.

In light of concerns regarding state-approved land seizures from farmers in South Africa, Trump recently declared a halt to all U.S. federal funding to the nation. He also assured that farmers escaping South Africa would be given refuge in the United States.

Shortly before his departure from office, President Biden granted a comprehensive and unconditional pardon for his son, Hunter Biden, referencing what he characterized as a selective and politically motivated prosecution.

Hunter Biden faced nine counts of federal tax evasion for neglecting to pay $1.4 million in taxes between 2016 and 2019. He pleaded guilty to these charges in September after a prior plea agreement failed. He was staring down the possibility of 17 years in prison and $1.3 million in fines.

In a distinct case, Hunter Biden was found guilty of illegally acquiring a firearm in 2018 while under the influence of drugs and providing false information regarding his drug use on federal forms. The penalties for these offenses could extend to 25 years in prison.

Biden’s pardon encompassed these instances as well as any federal infractions Hunter Biden “committed or may have committed or participated in between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024.” With this pardon, he was exonerated from all federal crimes and their respective penalties.

This decision represented a major shift for President Biden, who had previously pledged not to utilize his presidential powers to grant clemency to his son. Biden justified his choice by stating that the charges against his son were motivated by political adversaries attempting to undermine him as the 2024 election approaches.

“No reasonable individual examining the facts surrounding Hunter’s cases can reach any conclusion other than that he was singled out solely because he is my son—and that is unjust,” Biden stated. “Enough is enough.”

Prior to vacating office, Biden also issued preemptive pardons to several other figures, including Fauci, retired General Mark Milley, and members of the U.S. House committee that investigated the events of January 6, 2021. Law enforcement officials who testified before the committee were also included in these clemency actions.

He contended that those given pardons faced a risk of being unjustly pursued by political rivals.

Republican legislators have accused the January 6 committee of inadequately archiving documents from their investigations, raising issues of transparency.

Meanwhile, Trump asserted on March 17 that multiple pardons issued by his predecessor, including those covering the committee’s members, are “void, vacant, and of no further force or effect” due to alleged issues with the signing process. Trump claimed the pardons were carried out using an autopen, a tool used to replicate signatures, and questioned their validity.

“Thus, those involved with the Unselect Committee, who destroyed and deleted ALL evidence gathered during their two-year witch hunt against me and many others who are innocent, should be fully aware that they are subjects of examination at the highest level,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

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