President Donald Trump has ended the federal security detail for Dr. Anthony Fauci, the infectious disease expert who advised him on the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fauci is the latest in a string of former Trump aides-turned-critics to see their federal protection canceled despite ongoing threats to their lives.

Speaking to reporters in North Carolina on Friday, Trump said he wouldn’t feel any responsibility if harm befell the former government officials. A person familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security issues, said that Fauci’s federal security detail was ended on Thursday and that he has since hired private security.

When asked about Fauci and former national security adviser John Bolton, Trump said, “They all made a lot of money. They can hire their own security, too.”

  • funkless_eck@sh.itjust.works
    144·
    2 days ago

    It’s hard to get the same rate of pay outside the US. If I moved to the UK, AND got promoted from Snr Mgr to Director I’d take a 30% pay cut on average, not to mention what I’d lose on selling my house early, transferring 401k, current liquid assets, car, moving costs for me and family as well as the emotional, social and opportunity cost of moving my wife who’d also have to secure her own package or else be out of work.

    Then there’s the Visa cost.

    You’re probably looking at $20-30k USD costs not including opportunity cost and salary decrease.

      • funkless_eck@sh.itjust.works
        32·
        2 days ago

        Until you’re a millionaire money does buy happiness though. And becoming more poor is more expensive than becoming more rich.

        • HellsBelle@sh.itjust.worksOPEnglish
          1·
          1 day ago

          Studies have shown money doesn’t buy happiness. It does buy less stress, worry and a peace of mind that you and your family will have a home and healthy food to eat without having to work 3 jobs to get it.

    • PennyRoyal@sh.itjust.works
      7·
      2 days ago

      That’s valid, but I think that there’s going to be an increasing number of people who feel unsafe enough to take that hit, from the left/lgbt/scientific/non-caucasian communities. There’s almost inevitably going to be a brain-drain because of this, so we might as well take advantage of it

    • AlexWIWA@lemmy.mlEnglish
      4·
      2 days ago

      Depending on how much your insurance costs relative to your income, you’ll make up that 30% in savings.

    • ImADifferentBird@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      4·
      2 days ago

      But on the plus side, there aren’t legions of “lone wolf” nut jobs just aching to murder you in the name of Dear Leader, who Dear Leader is only too happy to encourage while taking away whatever protections you have from them.

      So, you know, give and take.