The US Secret Service is set to spend thousands of pounds in taxpayer money to accompany Eric Trump on a trip to Ireland next week, where the US President's son is pushing for a "spectacular" new ballroom at the family's County Clare golf resort.
Taxpayer-Funded Security for Private Business
Federal procurement records reveal the agency has earmarked $21,449.01 specifically for "USSS Hotel Lodging - Eric Trump Visit - Doonbeg" on 20th and 21st January 2026. The contract was issued by the U.S. Embassy in Dublin, with funds drawn from the State Department's Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs.
This lodging bill represents just a fraction of the total cost for the trip, which will also include agents' salaries, air travel, meals, and local transportation. A Secret Service spokeswoman, Alexandra Worley, stated that all expenditures comply with federal spending regulations, citing the legal entitlement of presidential family members to protection under 18 U.S. Code 3056.
The visit comes as Eric Trump, who along with his brother Don Jr. now controls the Trump Organization, plays a leading role in developing a major new facility at the Doonbeg resort. While the administration he is connected to has pursued cuts in scientific research and public health funding, this security expenditure highlights the ongoing costs of protecting the First Family during private international business ventures.
The 'Spectacular' Doonbeg Ballroom Plans
Eric Trump's trip centres on obtaining planning permission for a 13,000-square-foot ballroom at the Trump International Golf Links & Hotel Ireland. In comments to the Irish press, he has enthusiastically promoted the project, calling it "the nicest ballroom in the country" and claiming "the design is the best you've ever seen."
Submitted plans to Clare County Council detail a facility accommodating up to 320 guests, featuring a main function room, reception space, bar and lounge areas, a bridal suite, and "champagne and tea stations." Its construction would require the demolition of the existing, smaller ballroom. The Trump Organization argues the contemporary design is sympathetic to the resort's architecture and will act as a key economic driver for West Clare.
An environmental statement submitted with the application asserts the development will not harm the protected Vertigo Angustior snail population found on the site, which is reportedly in "terminal decline" due to coastal erosion.
A History of Controversial Expenditure at Trump Properties
This is not the first time Secret Service expenditures at Trump-owned properties have drawn scrutiny. Documentation shows a pattern of significant costs:
- In 2017, nearly $28,000 was spent to house Eric Trump's security detail at the Trump Doonbeg resort.
- During a 2019 presidential visit, the hotel billed the Secret Service over $10,000 for a two-day stay.
- That same year, it charged more than $15,000 for two nights lodging Vice President Mike Pence's protective detail.
These figures contradict past claims by Eric Trump that the family business allowed the Secret Service to stay at cost or for free. An investigation by the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington found Trump properties typically charged the agency above-market rates.
The Clare County Council is accepting public comments on the ballroom proposal until 2nd February 2026, with a decision expected three weeks later. The trip underscores the ongoing blending of private business interests with publicly-funded security protocols within the Trump family.
