today at trump tower
Trump Tower evacuation exacerbates frustration between New York City, president-elect
A "false alarm" in Trump Tower on Tuesday highlighted the tension between the office of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and the transition team of President-elect Donald Trump. The lobby of Trump's Midtown Manhattan building was evacuated Tuesday afternoon when a bag of children's toys was considered a "suspicious package," following normal protocol: "They cannot afford to assume. The stakes are too high," security expert Manny Gomez told CBS News.
"Back to work here at Trump Tower after a false alarm," Trump's incoming press secretary, Sean Spicer, tweeted after the incident. But the statement sparked the ire of de Blasio's own press secretary, Eric Phillips:
It reportedly costs New York City more than $1 million a day to protect Trump, a price tag de Blasio has sought support to pay. Nevertheless, Dan Scavino Jr., Trump's incoming social media director, subsequently pounced on Phillips:
"That's not very nice, Dan," Phillips replied. "But about that bill ... work on it with us?"