In a major policy decision, President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he is immediately ending Secret Service protection for Joe Biden’s adult children, Hunter Biden and Ashley Biden. The move comes after Trump, on his social media platform, raised objections to the number of Secret Service agents assigned to them.

Trump, who returned to the White House for a second term in January, pointed out that Hunter Biden had 18 agents assigned to his protective detail during his trip to South Africa and that Ashley Biden had 13 agents assigned to her. He stated, “She too will be taken off the list.”

While there has been no immediate reaction from former President Joe Biden’s office, the decision has sparked debate over security protocols for the families of former presidents.

Under federal law, former presidents and their spouses receive lifelong Secret Service protection. Their children, however, lose protection once they turn 16 unless an extension is granted by the outgoing president. This practice has been followed by previous administrations, including Barack Obama and George W. Bush, who extended protection for their children beyond their presidencies.

Before leaving office in January, Joe Biden had extended Secret Service protection for his children until July 2025. Similarly, Trump had also granted extended protection to his family when he left office in 2021.