Secret Service command center leaves Trump Tower following lease dispute


Unable to reach a lease agreement with the Trump Organization, the Secret Service no longer has a command post inside Trump Tower in Manhattan, instead setting up shop on the sidewalk outside, two people familiar with the discussions told The Washington Post on Thursday.
Although President Trump has not been to Trump Tower since the inauguration and his wife and youngest son moved out in June, it is considered his primary residence and there are agents there around the clock to protect it. The command post, where supervisors and backup agents are stationed in case of emergency, was one floor below Trump's apartment, high up in the tower, and security experts say it's worrisome that the unit is now on the street because radio transmissions could break up due to distance and it would take longer for agents to get upstairs. "It's a security deficiency that has to be resolved," a former Secret Service official told the Post. "It's like having the quarterback of the football game actually being located in a different stadium than where the game is being played."
The command post was moved to a trailer in early July, and people with knowledge of the discussions told the Post the two sides could not agree on price and additional conditions of the lease. A spokeswoman for the Trump Organization told the Post it was "mutually determined that it would be more cost effective and logistically practical for the Secret Service to lease space elsewhere," while a Secret Service spokeswoman said that "throughout this process, there has been no impact to the security plan developed by the Secret Service."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Today's political cartoons - April 20, 2025
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - Pam Bondi, retirement planning, and more
By The Week US
-
5 heavy-handed cartoons about ICE and deportation
Cartoons Artists take on international students, the Supreme Court, and more
By The Week US
-
Exploring the three great gardens of Japan
The Week Recommends Beautiful gardens are 'the stuff of Japanese landscape legends'
By The Week UK
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Biden expected to block Japanese bid for US Steel
Speed Read The president is blocking the $14 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, citing national security concerns
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons merger
Speed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US