President Donald Trump confirmed on Friday that he pulled the security detail for Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Fauci’s security detail was pulled Thursday night.
“When you work for government, at some point, your security detail comes off. You can’t have them forever. I think it is very standard. If it would be for someone else, you wouldn’t be asking the question.” Trump told reporters at a press conference in North Carolina.
“You can’t have a security detail for the rest of your life because you work for the government,” he added.
“Fauci made a lot of money,” the president added.
He declined to comment on Trump’s remarks, according to The Hill. The news outlet also reported that Fauci would be paying for his own security going forward.
The former health advisor to President Joe Biden had a $15 million security detail.
Fox News reported that Fauci’s 2022 termination report showed that he and his wife had a combined net worth of $11 million.
Before Biden left office, he gave Fauci a preemptive pardon.
Also, this week, security details have been pulled from former National Security Advisor John Bolton, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and American diplomat Brian Cook.
“They all made a lot of money. They can hire their own security, too,” Trump said.
CBS News reported that the security details for Pompeo and Cook cost American taxpayers around $2 million a month.
Bolton took to X to criticize the president’s decision.
“The Iranian threats against me (and a few others) are still very real and have been confirmed as of a few days ago,” he said. “By removing my Secret Service detail and continuing the protection for others, Trump tells you all you need to know about his motives.”