PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — The cost to protect President-elect Donald Trump in Palm Beach County seems to keep rising.
WPTV is asking questions about the cost and who will end up paying the big price tag.
Even before Election Day, the security around Trump has been tight. Among the personnel helping to protect the president-elect is the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
"His security at Mar-a-Lago is at presidential level already," Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said.
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"The cost is driven by the level of protection," Bradshaw said. "Right now I spend $200,000 a day because we do the lion's share of the security."
Bradshaw has seen that cost double since September. The biggest reason is manpower.
"Most of (the cost) is personnel, and I would dare say that it's not just going to be personnel, but all overtime," Professor David Thomas at Florida Gulf Coast University said.
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Thomas is a former police officer and expert on law enforcement and police practices.
He said considering the two assassination attempts on Trump, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office will spare no expense in keeping the president-elect safe.
"That's why you see all the additional effort because you do not want that on your watch," Thomas said.
So far that additional security is being paid by county taxpayers. However, the sheriff is pressing Congress to help with the bill.
"Once he's in office, they'll pass a spending bill that will encompass security for the president, and we'll get reimbursed fully for everything we put out," Bradshaw said.
Palm Beach County Mayor Maria Sachs told WPTV that she plans to send a second letter asking Congress for the money — which is now in the millions. She said now that Trump is president-elect, it should speed up the reimbursements.
