security alert
Donald Trump is still being protected by his own private bodyguards. That has some officials very worried.
At President-elect Donald Trump's side during any given event, you'll find a Secret Service agent and, most likely, a man by the name of Keith Schiller. The retired New York City cop has been the Trump Organization's security director since 2004, but, as Politico reported, Schiller "provides more than just security."
Schiller reportedly fields Trump's calls, deciding who gets through to the president-elect, and Trump often asks him for his opinion on "all manner of subjects," Politico noted. "Keith is kind of a consigliere," a transition team official said. "He knows all the players, all the properties. He has the confidence of Trump and of the family."
Already, Schiller's presence has posed some problems for Secret Service. Aside from being a "major break from tradition" for a president to not entirely entrust Secret Service with his protection, Politico reported the arrangement presents some risks:
Security officials warn that employing private security personnel heightens risks for the president-elect and his team, as well as for protesters, dozens of whom have alleged racial profiling, undue force, or aggression at the hands [of] Trump's security, with at least 10 joining a trio of lawsuits now pending against Trump, his campaign, or its security.
"It's playing with fire,” said Jonathan Wackrow, a former Secret Service agent who worked on President Barack Obama's protective detail during his 2012 re-election campaign. Having a private security team working events with Secret Service "increases the Service's liability, it creates greater confusion, and it creates greater risk," Wackrow said. [Politico]
Schiller is reportedly expected to serve as "a personal White House aide," acting as the president-elect's "full-time physical gatekeeper."
For more on Schiller, and Trump's private security forces, head over to Politico.