WASHINGTON — A U.S. military office that supports the White House is reportedly spending $130,000 per month to rent space in Trump Tower, where President Donald Trump has yet to spend a night since he became the commander in chief, according to General Services Administration lease documents obtained by The Wall Street Journal.
The White House Military Office, separate from the U.S. Secret Service, is occupying the space and provides services that the president must have access to by law. This includes medical, food, transportation and communication services, and the office is responsible for holding onto the so-called nuclear football in case the president needs to authorize a nuclear attack.
The government signed a $2.39 million lease to rent this 3,475-square-foot space near Trump's penthouse for a total of 18 months.
This makes the space the most expensive in Trump Tower. The runner-up listings ring in at $50,000 per month, according to Street Easy, which lists three apartments at this price, ranging in size from 3,065 to 3,725 square feet.
Several officials have indicated that the rental does not financially benefit the president, including James A. MacStravic, the acting undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics.
"To alleviate your principal concern (i.e. that the president of the United States might financially benefit from the lease effort), please know that this residential space is privately owned and that lease negotiations have been with the owner’s representatives only," MacStravic wrote in a letter to Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., on March 3.
According to city records, the
— the only other resident on Trump’s floor — who purchased his apartment in 1996.
