Two members of former President Trump’s family were “inappropriately — and perhaps dangerously — close” to Secret Service agents assigned to their detail while Trump was in office, according to a new book.
The claims, which involve Vanessa Trump, the now ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr., and Tiffany Trump, the former president’s youngest daughter, come from Washington Post reporter Carol Leonnig’s “Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service,” which is set to publish next week and a copy of which was obtained by The Guardian.
According to the book, Secret Service agents reported that Vanessa Trump “started dating one of the agents who had been assigned to her family.”
She filed for an uncontested divorce from Donald Trump Jr. in March 2018.
According to Leonnig, as cited by The Guardian, the agent involved in the relationship did not face disciplinary action because neither he nor the Secret Service were official protectors of Vanessa Trump at that point.
Leonnig also wrote that Tiffany Trump had reportedly cut ties with her boyfriend and “began spending an unusual amount of time alone with a Secret Service agent on her detail.”
Secret Service leaders “became concerned at how close Tiffany appeared to be getting to the tall, dark and handsome agent,” according to Leonnig.
Agents are forbidden from having personal relationships with people they are assigned to protect, The Guardian noted.
Tiffany Trump and the agent both reportedly said nothing untoward was occurring, pointing out that agents have to spend time alone with their charges as part of the job.
Nonetheless, the agent was reportedly reassigned.
“The U.S. Secret Service is aware of an upcoming book which re-hashes past challenges the agency overcame and evolved from,” the agency said in a statement to The Hill. “Now and throughout its 156 year history, the agency’s skilled workforce is dedicated to the successful execution of its critical protective and investigative missions.”
The Hill has reached out to former President Trump, Tiffany Trump, Vanessa Trump and Donald Trump Jr. for comment.
Leonnig reported it was unclear if the then-president was aware of the concerns Secret Service personnel had regarding his daughter and daughter-in-law.
Leonnig did write, however, that Trump reportedly wanted to remove Secret Service staff from his detail that he thought were overweight or too short for the job.
Trump is reported to have said, “I want these fat guys off my detail,” possibly mixing up office-based staff with agents.
“How are they going to protect me and my family if they can’t run down the street?” he reportedly said.