Consistent with  the Presidential Protection Assistance Act, the Secret Service requests  support from other agencies—including the Coast Guard and DOD—as  necessary when the President travels. The Act continues the authority of executive departments and  agencies to assist the Secret Service in meeting its protective  responsibilities but specifies that protective services may only be provided  at the request of the Secret Service and must be on a reimbursable basis  except when temporary support is provided by DOD and the Coast Guard  and is directly related to protecting the President, Vice President, or an  officer immediately next in the order of succession to the office of the  President. Costs for the President’s Travel for Four Trips to Mar-a- Lago Totaled about $13.6 Million

For the President’s four trips to Mar-a-Lago from February 3, 2017 to  March 5, 2017, we estimate that federal agencies incurred costs of about  $13.6 million. As shown in table 1, these costs consisted of approximately  $10.6 million for operating costs and $3.0 million for temporary duty costs. As previously mentioned, these figures do  not include certain classified cost information. Moreover, they do not  include the salaries and benefits of U.S. government civilian and military  personnel traveling with the President or involved with agency travel  preparations, because these personnel would have received their salaries  and benefits for the conduct of their regular duties and responsibilities  regardless of whether the President traveled. 2). The Coast Guard incurred other travel-related costs, such as for meals  and incidental expenses and lodging for officials on temporary duty  assignment to support the President’s travel. No lodging costs were incurred at Mar- a-Lago in connection with the Secretary of Homeland Security’s travel. Costs for the President’s Two Adult Children’s Travel to Uruguay, the Dominican Republic, and the United Arab Emirates Totaled about $396,000

The Secret Service incurred costs of approximately $396,000, primarily  for Secret Service agents’ temporary duty costs, while protecting Donald  Trump, Jr., Eric Trump, and their spouses during three international trips  taken during January and February 2017, as shown in table 4 below. Donald Trump, Jr., Eric Trump, and their spouses traveled to the United  Arab Emirates from February 14, 2017 to February 19, 2017. Documentation provided by the Secret Service confirmed that Donald  Trump Jr., Eric Trump and their spouses flew on commercial aircraft. Officials from the 89th Airlift Wing confirmed that no military aircraft  supported these trips. Secret Service agents protecting the Trump family  flew by commercial aircraft. Secret Service and DOD Have Not Reported Costs as Required Under the Presidential Protection Assistance Act of 1976

For fiscal years 2015 through 2017 we found that, of the three agencies  required to report costs incurred for protecting the President and others  under the Presidential Protection Assistance Act, only the Coast Guard  reported semiannually on costs under the Act. Secret Service: The Secret Service has not consistently submitted the  semiannual reports to Congress and does not have a policy for ensuring  that the semiannual reports are prepared. Secret Service officials  told us that they were unaware that the reports for 2016 and 2017 had not  been submitted until we requested this information. Establishing a policy defining requirements for producing the semiannual  reports to Congress—including what is to be reported, the entity  responsible for preparing and submitting the reports, and reporting time  frames—and an oversight mechanism to ensure that the reports are  prepared and submitted to Congress, may better position the Secret  Service to consistently report required expenditure data to specified  congressional committees as required. (Recommendation 1)
The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Under Secretary of  Defense for Policy updates its policy and instruction on providing support  to the Secret Service to define the requirements for producing semiannual  reports of expenditures required by the Presidential Protection Assistance  Act of 1976, as amended. In  their comments, DHS and DOD concurred with their respective  recommendation(s).
Why GAO Did This Study

The Secret Service is responsible for protecting the President and his family, including adult children when they travel. The Secret Service can request assistance in its mission from other agencies, such as DOD and the Coast Guard. When the President travels, he must fly on DOD aircraft.
GAO was asked to review the travel- related costs for four trips that the President took to Mar-a-Lago and three trips that the President's adult children made to certain overseas destinations. This report examines (1) the costs incurred by federal agencies associated with the President's travel on selected trips to Mar-a-Lago, (2) the costs incurred by federal agencies associated with certain overseas trips taken by Donald Trump, Jr. and Eric Trump, and (3) the extent to which the Coast Guard, the Secret Service, and DOD have reported their costs pursuant to the Presidential Protection Assistance Act of 1976. GAO analyzed agency cost data in connection with the President's travel to Mar-a-Lago and the President's adult children's trips to certain overseas locations. GAO also reviewed the law, agency guidance, and semiannual reports related to the Presidential Protection Assistance Act of 1976.

What GAO Found

GAO estimated that federal agencies incurred costs of about $13.6 million for the President's four trips to Mar-a-Lago from February 3 through March 5, 2017. This estimate consisted of approximately $10.6 million for operating costs of government aircraft and boats and $3 million for temporary duty costs of government personnel supporting the President's travel, including transportation, lodging, and meals and incidental expenses. These figures do not include certain classified cost information or the salaries and benefits of government personnel traveling with the President because, salaries and benefits would be paid regardless of whether the President was traveling.
The United States Secret Service (Secret Service) incurred about $396,000, primarily for temporary duty costs, while protecting Donald Trump, Jr. and Eric Trump during three international trips taken in January and February 2017. Eric Trump traveled to Uruguay and the Dominican Republic and Donald Trump, Jr., Eric Trump, and their spouses traveled to the United Arab Emirates. Documentation provided by Secret Service officials confirmed that the Trumps and their spouses flew on commercial aircraft. Officials from the 89th Airlift Wing confirmed that no military aircraft supported these trips. Secret Service agents protecting the Trump family flew by commercial aircraft.
GAO found that, of the three agencies required to report by the Presidential Protection Assistance Act of 1976, as amended, only the United States Coast Guard (Coast Guard) reported protection costs semiannually to Congress for fiscal years 2015 through 2017. GAO found that the Secret Service does not have a policy for ensuring that the semiannual reports are prepared and has not consistently submitted the reports. Secret Service officials last submitted reports in fiscal year 2015 and were unaware that reports had not been submitted in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 until GAO requested this information. GAO also found that the Department of Defense (DOD) has a policy but did not produce and submit the reports as required. Moreover, weaknesses in DOD's existing policy and instruction do not clearly establish the responsibility for preparing and reporting the costs incurred to support protection activities. Absent clear policies with an oversight mechanism to ensure that the reports are produced, Congress has not been provided required information concerning the costs for providing protective services for the President and others.

What GAO Recommends

GAO is making recommendations to the Secret Service and DOD to ensure that the reports required under the Presidential Protection Assistance Act of 1976, as amended, are prepared and submitted. The Department of Homeland Security and DOD concurred with GAO's recommendations.