Trump Tower evacuation triggers Twitter spat between aides to NYC mayor and president-elect

Dylan Stableford
·Senior Writer

Trump Tower was briefly evacuated on Tuesday after the discovery of a suspicious package, triggering a spat between aides for both New York City’s Democratic mayor and the building’s most famous resident.

President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming press secretary, Sean Spicer, tweeted his appreciation for the New York City Police Department’s swift work in determining that an unattended backpack was harmless.

“Back to work here at Trump Tower after a false alarm,” Spicer wrote on Twitter. “Thanks NYPD.”

“No problem,” Eric Phillips, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio’s press secretary, replied. “We’ll send you the bill.”

Dan Scavino Jr., Trump’s social media director and the senior adviser to his transition, fired back, calling Phillips an “embarrassment” to both the mayor’s office and the NYPD.

“That’s not very nice, Dan,” Phillips replied. “But about that bill … work on it with us?”

Trump, who spent the holiday at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, was not at home at the time of the bomb scare.

But when he is, New York City officials say, protecting the president-elect and his family at Trump Tower costs more than $1 million a day.

Earlier this month, House Republicans passed a short-term resolution that set aside $7 million to help pay for the security of Trump Tower during the transition. De Blasio, who wanted $35 million, refused to admit defeat.

“Not happy with a Round 1, but it’s only Round 1,” de Blasio said on WNYC. “This ain’t over yet.”

Reimbursing a city for the postelection cost of protecting a president’s home is not unprecedented. After Barack Obama was elected in 2008, the Chicago Police Department was reimbursed more than $1.5 million for the cost of securing Obama’s Windy City home between his election and inauguration.

But the additional cost of securing Trump Tower is likely to continue well beyond Jan. 20. Trump’s wife Melania and their 10-year-old son Barron are expected to stay at Trump Tower at least until the end of the school year. And Trump has said he plans to return home from Washington regularly.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks to the press in front of Trump Tower.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks to the press in front of Trump Tower after his meeting with the president-elect, Nov. 16, 2016. (Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)