Hunter Biden, son of former President Joe Biden, has racked up a staggering $10.9 million tab in taxpayer-funded Secret Service protection over three years. This eyebrow-raising figure demands a closer look at priorities in a time of strained federal resources.
According to documents obtained by the Center to Advance Security in America and shared with Just the News, the costs span from January 2022 to December 2024. They include $9.3 million on hotels, $1.1 million on air and rail travel, and close to $600,000 on car rentals and transportation for Hunter’s security detail.
While other high-profile figures were denied similar protection, Hunter’s detail accompanied him on lavish trips to Nantucket, South Africa, and the Virgin Islands. The disparity in treatment raises serious questions about fairness and the allocation of limited Secret Service assets.
Thanksgiving trips to Nantucket alone cost taxpayers dearly, with a 2022 visit tallying up several hundred thousand dollars, including $10,000 for golf cart rentals and $120,000 for lodging at $740 per night. The 2023 trip soared past half a million, with expenses like $198,000 at Faraway Nantucket and $133,500 at White Elephant Hotel.
Other jaunts carried equally hefty price tags, such as a New Year’s trip to St. Croix costing $372,000 for property and another $372,000 for travel cards. Additional trips with Hunter and his wife, Melissa Cohen, included $650,000 for a Santa Ynez, California, stay across six hotels.
Short visits weren’t spared either, with a two-day Wilmington, Delaware, trip hitting $170,000 and a single day in New York City costing over $250,000 for 13 hotels. These numbers paint a picture of extravagance that’s hard to justify under any budget.
CASA Director James Fitzpatrick didn’t mince words, stating, “If the Biden Secret Service was truly low on funding and staffing as they claimed in July 2024, the American people deserve answers as to why their priorities were so grossly misaligned.” His point cuts deep when you consider the agency’s documented struggles with understaffing and overtime burdens.
While Hunter vacationed at the estates of Democratic donors like Joe Kiani in Nantucket, as reported by The Los Angeles Times, the Secret Service denied protection to then-presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. This selective safeguarding feels like a slap in the face to those who’ve faced real threats without support.
Further, congressional investigations have exposed glaring failures in protecting former President Donald Trump during two assassination attempts. With resources stretched thin, funneling millions into Hunter’s globetrotting detail seems like a misstep of epic proportions.
A recent inspector general report lays bare chronic issues within the Secret Service, from understaffed counter-sniper units to agents missing mandatory weapons requalification testing. These aren’t minor hiccups; they’re systemic cracks that endanger lives.
Agents are reportedly working overtime equivalent to 24 full-time employees annually, yet millions were diverted to cover Hunter’s trips, including an $18,000 two-day jaunt to Santa Barbara. This mismatch of focus begs for accountability at the highest levels.
Fitzpatrick also noted a “significant departure from the typical norms surrounding Secret Service protection coverage” during the Biden administration. His nonpartisan organization, CASA, filed the FOIA request to uncover these expenditures, shining a light on decisions that defy logic.
The American public shouldn’t be footing the bill for what looks like a VIP travel service while core security missions falter. Hunter’s protection costs, coupled with stays at donor estates, suggest a coziness that doesn’t sit right with fiscal responsibility or equal treatment.
With nearly 95% of the expenses tied to California, where Hunter often resided, and the rest splurged on elite destinations, the optics are terrible. Taxpayers deserve a full reckoning of why these funds weren’t directed to more pressing national security needs.
Ultimately, this isn’t just about dollars spent; it’s about trust eroded. If the Secret Service can’t balance its duties without such glaring disparities, it’s time for a hard reset on how protection is prioritized and who foots the bill.
