Trump’s misguided decision about security for Fauci, Bolton, and Pompeo
The headlines were that Trump announced that he’s withdrawing Secret Service protection from Anthony Fauci, John Bolton, and Mike Pompeo. The first two made his life a misery during his presidency. It’s not entirely clear why Pompeo lost his Secret Service protection. Trump’s decision is probably technically right as to Fauci but it’s definitely wrong as to Bolton and Pompeo. The wisest move is to keep security in place for all three.
Trump cut off Bolton’s and Pompeo’s security protection the moment he entered office:
President Donald Trump has revoked government security protection for former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his top aide, Brian Hook, who have faced threats from Iran since they took hard-line stances on the Islamic Republic during Trump’s first administration.
[snip]
A day earlier, Trump, a Republican, revoked the security clearance and Secret Service protection from John Bolton, who was fired as Trump’s national security adviser during his first term.
Yesterday, Trump also ended taxpayer-funded protection for Anthony Fauci:
President Donald Trump said on Friday Dr. Anthony Fauci, a former top health official who has faced threats since leading the country’s COVID-19 response, should hire his own security, the latest former U.S. official to have their protection cut off since Trump took office this week.
Trump is technically right to have cut off Fauci’s protection. First, it turns out that Fauci had only a two-year contract for taxpayer-funded protection to begin with, a deal that ended while Biden was still in office:
Fauci’s security detail was a two-year deal. It expired in December 2024 - while Biden was still president.
— Jeff Carlson (@themarketswork) January 24, 2025
CNN can’t even do the most basic reporting in their quest to “get” Trump.https://t.co/IKorYRm8mf https://t.co/Dgh1nm4ki8
In other words, what you’re really reporting is that the NIH secretly extended huge payments to Fauci for a private security detail after the formal two-year agreement ended.
— Jeff Carlson (@themarketswork) January 24, 2025
Thanks for the clarification. https://t.co/jUCgV3O7cy
In other words, Fauci was never intended to have protection for life.
Moreover, Trump is right that Fauci can pay for his own security (as many conservatives have been forced to do, people such as Matt Walsh, who angered “transgender” activists). Fauci’s and his wife’s net worth is estimated to be around $11-12 million. If you’re wondering how a man who spent almost his career in government amassed that wealth, it’s because of patents he and his wife glommed on to, especially during COVID and, of course, the usual book deals (which I always assume are money laundering deals).
Things are a little different with Bolton and Pompeo. First, there’s the money issue. Mike Pompeo doesn’t seem to have any significant wealth, so he really cannot fund private security. John Bolton isn’t poor, but he’s probably worth half what Fauci is.
It’s the second thing, though, that’s big: Both Bolton and Pompeo are in the crosshairs of Iran, which is one of America’s primary geopolitical enemies. That means they’re high-level military targets, with a foreign government gunning for them. They shouldn’t have to defend against that risk on their own.
In this, they are different from Fauci, who’s arguably at risk because Americans didn’t like his policies. As we saw with Brian Thompson’s murder, even crazies can fire off a lucky shot, but it is a different level of risk than having a whole terrorist-crazed country gunning for you. The first is a risk of public office (and yes, that’s a bad thing, but it is what it is), while the second is an act of war.
Having said all of the above—Trump should protect Pompeo and Bolton but not Fauci—Trump would probably be wise not to be petty about Fauci. If, God forbid, Fauci were assassinated, that would spell the end of Trump’s presidency. The Democrats and RINOs would make such a big noise about the death of St. Fauci that it’s likely Trump could never recover.
We taxpayers have paid for all sorts of stupid stuff, especially in terms of advancing DEI and “gender” madness at home and abroad. Providing security for officials who are lightning rods is a burden we can handle.
Image by Grok.