Donald Trump knows how to strike a deal.
He’s a billionaire with a TV show based on the premise he’s a shit-hot business negotiator. He has even written the book on negotiating – Trump: The Art of the Deal.
His vaunted deal-making acumen was also his main pitch on the campaign trail as he promised American voters he’d use his boardroom prowess to help enrich them.
Now Donald hasn’t even settled into the White House yet and already could be on the brink of his first lucrative deal.
For himself that is, rather than the American people.
The billionaire could be in line make around $3 million (£2.4 million) a year from his presidential security detail, according to reports from America.
The New York Post reports the US security service is looking at setting up a permanent base in Trump Tower for the duration of his presidency.
They are currently in negotiations to take over two floors in the 68-story tower, where Donald’s wife Melania and their 10-year-old son Barron Trump reside in their $90 million penthouse triplex.
If the plan goes ahead it could see the secret service rent the floors at around $1.5 each a year.
Based in the heart of Manhattan, near Central Park, the skyscraper is one of Trump’s flagship pieces of real estate.
The first 26 floors are luxury offices and the rest of the building is exclusive apartments.
It is common practice for the US secret service rent out buildings in places where the President and other dignitaries are staying.
And it is not unprecedented for them to rent properties from the person they are protecting.
According to the Washington Post the secret service paid Vice President Joe Biden $2,200-a-month to rent out a cottage next to his home in Delaware.
However in this case it would a very substantial sum going directly from the US taxpayer to Trump’s corporation.
Not that the move wouldn’t yield some perks for the secret service agents involved.
Should any of them get hungry while one duty they’ll have the choice of Trump Bar or Trump Grille to grab a bite. They can even do a spot of shopping the the tower’s Gucci shop.
