Along with CBS Mornings and NBC’s Today, ABC’s Good Morning America decided it wouldn’t do its job on Monday of covering the latest layer of the Hunter Biden saga as a new report said the Secret Service is spending “more than $30,000 a month to rent out a swanky Malibu, California, mansion” to protect the First Son.
The outlet that reported this in a 1,433-word story, posted at 4:54 a.m. Eastern? ABCNews.com!
So, yes, ABC made the decision to ignore the work from three of its own reporters (Josh Margolin, John Santucci, and Soo Rin Kim) in favor of stories such recapping The Grammy’s from the night before, which they combined with CBS and NBC for 19 minutes and 48 seconds of coverage.
The trio began their piece “Secret Service paying over $30K per month for Malibu mansion to protect Hunter Biden” by explaining the hefty monthly bill has been shelled out “for nearly a year” to house Secret Service agents in order to keep “the president's controversial son” safe.
The ABC reporters continued (click “expand”):
The agency responsible for protecting the president and his family -- among other ranking government officials -- selected the property in order to be located as close as possible to Biden's own rented mansion where he is paying about $20,000 a month according to property listings, sources told ABC News.
Retired senior Secret Service agent Don Mihalek, now an ABC News contributor, said the arrangement is "the cost of doing business for the Secret Service," adding that under the federal law, the agency has a mandated protective responsibility for the president, the first family, and anybody else the president designates for protection.
"Typically, wherever a protectee sets up their residence, the Secret Service is forced to find someplace to rent nearby at market value," Mihalek said, noting that the agency is also renting out properties to protect President Joe Biden's residences in Wilmington and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
Naturally, Hunter’s team never answered ABC’s questions and the Secret Service declined to comment, citing “the need to maintain operational security.”
The liberal media spent over four years losing its mind over any and all matters concerning the protection of President Trump and his family, but they’ve shown an aversion to the same posture with their own team and the Biden family.
ABC went through the profiles of the two houses and note how Hunter’s been able to afford this, but needed a loan to pay back taxes (click “expand”):
In Malibu, Hunter Biden's digs include a four-bedroom, three-bathroom "resort-style" home with an open floor plan, vaulted high ceilings, chef's kitchen and French doors, according to a description on its property listing. The mansion also features a "spacious park-like yard" with a pool, a spa, a built-in barbecue bar, and alfresco dining, according to the listing.
The property is located on 0.7 acres atop a hill, and boasts "enchanting" 180-degree panoramic ocean views, the listing says.
Next door is where sources say Biden's team of Secret Service agents are living and working.
The Spanish-style estate that the Secret Service has rented sits on a 0.7-acre lot above the Malibu coast and also features "gorgeous ocean views," according to its listing.
With six bedrooms, six bathrooms, a gym, a tasting room, a built-in barbecue, a pool, a spa, and a spiral staircase that leads up to a "castle-like tower to the master retreat with wet bar," the luxury mansion boasts "resort style living at its finest" and is "a perfect retreat for discerning clientele," its listing says.
(....)
Of the high cost sometimes associated with protecting presidential family members, Mihalek said, "I think it's all relative."
"Hunter's out in Malibu, which is not a low-cost area," said Mihalek. "And the Trump kids, too, they didn't live in low-cost areas."
In contrast, FNC’s America’s Newsroom and The Faulkner Focus had mentions for 44 and 50 seconds, respectively thanks to chief Washington correspondent Mike Emanuel.
Emanuel brought viewers the facts: “ABC News is reporting this morning that the Secret Service is spending more than $30,000 a month to rent out a Malibu, California mansion to be as close as possible to protect Hunter Biden.”
Speaking to America’s Newsroom co-host Bill Hemmer, Emanuel noted that such a story “leads to questions about if that is a wise use of taxpayer funds and questions about how Hunter Biden is affording $20,000 a month in rent.”
And later with Faulkner Focus host Harris Faulkner, Emanuel noted the expensive choice will “only likely add to” the “questions about how Hunter Biden makes his money.”
To see the relevant FNC transcript from April 4, click “expand.”
FNC’s America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer & Dana Perino
April 4, 2022
9:46 a.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: RPT: Hunter Security Costs Secret Service $30k/Mo]
MIKE EMANUEL: ABC News is reporting this morning that the Secret Service is spending more than $30,000 a month to rent out a Malibu, California mansion to be as close as possible to protect Hunter Biden. The report saying the protective detail selected the property to be as close as possible to the rented mansion of the President's son where he’s paying an estimated $20,000 a month, according to property listings. The Secret Service says due to the need to maintain operational security, it does not comment on the means, methods, or resources used to conduct its protective operations. Still, it leads to questions about if that is a wise use of taxpayer funds and questions about how Hunter Biden is affording $20,000 a month in rent.
BILL HEMMER: Eh. Sticky wicket.
(....)
FNC’s The Faulkner Focus
April 4, 2022
11:21 a.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: RPT: Hunter Security Costs Secret Service $30k/Mo]
MIKE EMANUEL: ABC News is reporting this morning that the Secret Service is spending more than $30,000 a month to rent out a Malibu, California mansion to be as close as possible to protect Hunter Biden. The report saying the protective detail selected the property to be as close as possible to the rented mansion of the President's son, where he’s paying an estimated $20,000 a month, according to property listings. The Secret Service tells Fox News: “Due to the need to maintain operational security, the U.S. Secret Service does not comment on the means, methods, or resources used to conduct its protective operations.” Considering there are questions about how Hunter Biden makes his money, $20,000 a month in rent for a Malibu home is only likely to add to those concerns. Harris?
HARRIS FAULKNER: Well, that's an interesting detail.
