At loggerheads with Congress over funding his signature border wall, president Donald Trump shut down large swaths of the federal government at midnight on Friday. Roughly 800,000 federal employees are affected, many of whom will remain on furlough without pay if the shutdown continues.
But even as much of the federal government grinds to a halt, Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort still needs tents for the winter party season—and taxpayers are footing at least $54,000 of the bill.
According to government spending data, Grimes Events & Party Tents Inc. of Delray Beach, Florida was paid $54,020 by the U.S. Secret Service on December 19 for “TENT RENTAL FOR MAL.”
