How Donald Trump will retrofit Midtown Manhattan as a presidential getaway

But shielding Trump from harm is only one of many objectives. Ensuring that he can communicate with the military, world leaders, Congress and the American people at all times is just as vital, and these goals exponentially increase the number of people, objects and systems that surround a modern president.

.. In the end, the trip took three airplanes , three helicopters, about 100 federal security agents and dozens of police officers accruing overtime. It required secure telephones in secure rooms inside the theater and the restaurant. All for a night out.

.. From now until the end of Trump’s presidency, everyone who enters and exits the building will have to be vetted by the Secret Service, even if the Trumps aren’t there. At the very least, their names will be run through agency threat databases. The service will want to inspect every package that goes into the building and will insist that staffers — at every shop, restaurant and residence — be scanned with a hand-held magnetometer, which detects hidden metal. When Trump is there, all of their personal effects will probably be checked by bomb-detection dogs, too.

.. A contingent from the Uniformed Division of the Secret Service might have to move to New York to maintain the outer perimeter, and so might technicians who will protect the building’s air supply from a chemical or radiological attack.

.. Air Force One — which costs about $236,000 per hour to fly when fully loaded with pilots, passengers, security, gear and fuel

.. John F. Kennedy International Airport, the tarmac will be frozen for at least 15 minutes before it lands.

.. So the Secret Service will watch Trump’s frequent destinations, using counter-surveillance personnel to see if any ne’er-do-well is casing them.

The Medicare Killers

The transition team’s point man on Social Security is a longtime advocate of privatization, and all indications are that the incoming administration is getting ready to kill Medicare, replacing it with vouchers that can be applied to the purchase of private insurance. Oh, and it’s also likely to raise the age of Medicare eligibility.

So it’s important not to let this bait-and-switch happen before the public realizes what’s going on.

.. First, the attack on Medicare will be one of the most blatant violations of a campaign promise in history.

.. since 2010 Medicare outlays per beneficiary have risen only 1.4 percent a year, less than the inflation rate. This success is one main reason long-term budget projections have dramatically improved.