Former President Donald Trump is facing the possibility of being banned from one of Texas’ largest cities, El Paso, after failing to settle a significant debt totaling nearly $600,000. The debt stems from services provided by the city’s police, ambulance, and firefighters during a campaign rally at the County Coliseum on February 11, 2019. The services were requested by the Secret Service to ensure the safety of Trump and the rally attendees. Despite numerous requests for payment, the Donald Trump campaign has yet to address the outstanding balance of $569,204.63.
City spokeswoman Laura Cruz-Acosta confirmed that the debt has accumulated a 21 percent late fee, amounting to an additional $98,787.58. El Paso taxpayers have been left to cover the cost of these first responder services. Mayor Dee Margo, speaking in 2019, expressed his concerns about the unpaid bill, stating, “I’m hopeful they’ll pay. I’m hopeful they’ll do what’s right. People that don’t pay their bills — that’s a character integrity issue.” Despite these concerns, the Trump campaign has not responded to multiple inquiries about the outstanding debt.
Legal Action and Debt Collection Efforts Intensify
El Paso authorities have taken unprecedented steps in their efforts to recover the unpaid debt from Donald Trump. In 2020, the city hired attorneys to assist in collecting the outstanding balance, marking the first time the city has had to pursue such measures against a sitting or former president. City Attorney Karla Nieman highlighted the unusual nature of the situation, stating, “We’re on unprecedented territory by having to collect an outstanding invoice from a sitting president.”
The situation has escalated to the point where El Paso officials sent a letter to Donald Trump, warning that the city might ban him from entering if the debt remains unpaid. The letter emphasized that the city “may choose to not enter into a contract with an individual that is indebted to the city for more than $100.” This move is particularly significant as El Paso has hosted every sitting U.S. president since Ronald Reagan, who frequently used the border city as a backdrop for immigration-related speeches.
Trump’s Pro-Police Stance Contradicted by Unpaid Bills
Donald Trump has often portrayed himself as a staunch supporter of law enforcement, dedicating an entire night at the July Republican National Convention in Milwaukee to the theme “Make America Safe Once Again.” During the convention, former police lieutenant Randy Sutton praised Donald Trump, calling him “the best friend we will ever have” in the law enforcement community. However, the unpaid debt to El Paso raises questions about the former president’s commitment to supporting the very first responders he claims to champion.
The contrast is further highlighted by the fact that Democrat Beto O’Rourke, who held a counter-rally in El Paso on the same day as Donald Trump’s 2019 event, promptly paid the $21,021 bill for the first responder services his event required. O’Rourke, a native of El Paso, ensured that his campaign fulfilled its financial obligations by the deadline, according to local reports. In contrast, Trump remains the only politician, from either party, to leave such a substantial debt unpaid in the city’s history.
Trump’s Mounting Debt to Local Communities for Rally Security Costs
Former President Donald Trump’s campaign has been accumulating a substantial amount of unpaid debts to various local governments across the United States, with recent developments highlighting the growing frustration among these communities. Dorchester County in South Carolina is the latest to claim that Trump’s campaign has failed to pay for the security services provided during a rally on September 25, 2023. The county spokeswoman confirmed to DailyMail.com that despite several attempts to collect the $26,071.22 owed, the Trump campaign has yet to settle the bill.
This issue is not isolated to Dorchester County. Coastal Carolina University is also seeking payment from the Trump campaign for security services provided during a February 10 rally, with the outstanding bill amounting to $37,410. As of May 15, 2023, the university confirmed to the South Carolina Daily Gazette that the payment remains unpaid. Additionally, in Montana, Billings Police Chief recently revealed that the department is still awaiting payment of $45,900 for services provided during a 2018 Trump visit, according to KFOX.
Nationwide Unpaid Security Bills: A Pattern of Non-Payment
Donald Trump’s pattern of not paying for security services extends beyond the states mentioned, with multiple other cities across the nation reporting similar experiences. In Green Bay, Wisconsin, local authorities are demanding payment for two separate Donald Trump visits, totaling $42,380 for rallies held in 2016 and March 2023. Former Wisconsin State Representative Amanda Stuck emphasized the significance of this unpaid debt, noting that such funds could have been used to hire additional police officers.
Investigations by the Center for Public Integrity revealed that at least nine other cities are owed money by the Donald Trump campaign, with the total outstanding amount reaching an estimated $1,933,383. Albuquerque, New Mexico, went as far as to report Trump’s $211,175 debt to a collection agency, a move that the city’s mayor, Tim Keller, described as standard procedure after receiving no response from the campaign. Keller noted that Trump is now receiving the same persistent collection calls as any other debtor, highlighting the seriousness of the situation.
These are just the cities that have come forward publicly about their unpaid bills. It’s likely that Trump’s debt to local governments is even larger, as many cities chose not to bill the campaign for security services, either because of existing policies against doing so or due to Trump’s notorious history of non-payment. Cities like Nashville have taken proactive measures by requiring Trump to pre-pay for police services and sign contracts to avoid similar issues.
Despite the mounting debts, Donald Trump has shown little inclination to settle these payments, once boasting in a 2016 CBS interview about his expertise in handling debt and renegotiating terms to his advantage. This approach has left many communities struggling to recover funds that could significantly impact their public safety budgets.
