Trump clan protection $ zaps budget

SOME SECRET Service agents are guarding the country’s billionaire President for free, while Trump companies are pocketing big bucks from the federal law enforcement agency.

The Secret Service has already hit its limits for agent salaries and overtime after just a few months of protecting Trump, his family and his homes.

Secret Service Director Randolph (Tex) Alles told USA Today that Trump’s family has blown through a budget for more than 1,000 agents that was supposed to last for the rest of 2017.

The First Family has overwhelmed the agency with its constant trips across the country — and its extravagant lifestyle, Alles said. The Secret Service has spent about $60,000 alone just to rent golf carts to follow Trump around his courses in New Jersey and Florida.

Alles said the Trump presidency has called for unprecedented protection that’s resulted in agents maxing out on overtime for their federally mandated pay caps. Fortytwo people in Trump’s circle have Secret Service protection, including 18 members of his family. Former President Barack Obama, by comparison, needed protection for 31 people through his two terms.

Trump’s family has also been exhausting the agency’s resources with their constant travels across the nation and the globe. Trump has traveled to one of his properties nearly every weekend of his presidency, spending about a quarter of the days since his inauguration away from the White House. Each of those weekend getaways is estimated to cost up to $3 million for travel and protection — with much of that money going to Trump’s company.

Alles said he is hoping lawmakers will boost the combined salaries and overtime for agents — from $160,000 a year to $187,000 — to help cover the rest of Trump’s first term, but warned not even that boost would make up for the OT his agents have been working.