Trump’s claims cost taxpayers more than $ 4.4 billion – VG

The newspaper notes that the sum continues to grow. 519 million dollars corresponds to just over 4,400 million crowns at the current exchange rate.

The costs are due to the fact that public agencies have been forced to use funds to respond to the actions of Trump, his team and his supporters in the wake of the presidential election, the newspaper writes.

Trump went to a series of trials to change the electoral result, without success. Next week, he will be arraigned in court for repeated false claims that he won the presidential election and for his speech before his supporters stormed Congress on January 6.

The Washington Post has reviewed local, state and federal spending. The expenses include, among other things, legal costs related to Trump’s lawsuits, increased security in relation to various threats and repairs, and costs related to the attack on Congress.

“Not only have people, places and democracy been attacked and harmed, but the cost of the new security procedures will require funds that could have been used for vaccines or covid treatments, and other critical expenses,” said the patrol chief. from Washington Loft, Chris Loftis. . to the newspaper.

The Washington Post emphasizes that the number is probably much higher than what they have managed to document.

Here’s what the newspaper calculation looks like:

• Federal costs associated with the attack on Congress and the inauguration of Joe Biden: $ 488,800,000
• State cost of inauguration of Congress and Joe Biden: $ 28,310,464
• Costs related to costs and security for people who worked on the election: $ 2,217,905

“It’s amazing how much money has been spent,” said Michael Rapich, head of the Utah Highway Patrol.

It says they spent $ 227,000 on January 17, including sending an additional 300 people to Salt Lake City after threats of an armed demonstration in connection with the inauguration of Joe Biden.

It is true that the most important bill came as a result of the attack on Congress, when 25,000 people from the National Guard were sent to the capital. The cost of this, the Washington Post claims, is at least $ 488.8 million.

– Security is not cheap. There is also no emergency. Nor is it the lives of elected leaders and their people whom we protect, the history and symbolism of the buildings they work in, or the democracy we represent, says Loftis on the Washington State Patrol.

In California, taxpayers must pay at least $ 19 million as a result of post-election events. They sent 1,000 National Guard soldiers to Washington after the attack on Congress.

– There is a lot of money for a week’s work. But it’s a job that was needed, says HD Palmer at the California Department of the Treasury.

Washington DC police spent more than $ 8.8 million the week after the attack on Congress, says Acting Police Chief Robert J. Contee III.

– The costs after this attack will only increase, he says.