Trump's Nashville visit costs Metro $30K in police overtime pay
President Donald Trump's visit to Nashville last Wednesday cost the Metro Nashville Police Department $29,871.98 in overtime to staff police officers for security.
Metro police spokesman Don Aaron said approximately 475 Nashville officers worked various forms of security for the Trump visit, which included a campaign rally at downtown's Municipal Auditorium and trip to The Hermitage, the historic home of President Andrew Jackson where Trump commemorated Jackson's 250th birthday.
Aaron said 266 of those officers worked overtime at some point during the trip, accumulating an average of 3.3 hours of overtime pay each. He said officers were either working downtown as part of route security and president's motorcade or at The Hermitage.
The dollar figure does not include regular hours worked by police officers related to Trump's visit, as opposed to their normal routines. Metro Police is expected to release the total cost later this week.
It has long been customary for Nashville's police department to absorb the costs of local police protection during presidential visits. President Barack Obama took three visits to Nashville during his two terms, and MNPD absorbed those costs each time. Local police work with the U.S. Secret Service and the Transportation Security Administration to implement security and route plans.
Trump's visit marks a substantially larger sum than the $2,542 in overtime pay tied to President Barack Obama's visit at McGavock High School in 2014. That visit required work form 131 police officers.
Aaron could not immediately provide The Tennessean the costs associated for separate Obama trips to Casa Azafran on Nolensville Pike and Taylor Stratton Elementary School in Madison. With two locations, including a campaign rally downtown during rush hour, Trump's visit required more police manpower than usual.
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At the state level, the Tennessee House Republican Caucus paid $3,000 for three buses to transport House members to Trump's event at The Hermitage. Two Democrats, Rep. John Mark Windle, D-Livingston, and John Deberry, were also on board. The Senate Clerk's Office paid $1,400 to provide buses for senators to the same event. Almost every Republican lawmaker attended.
Aaron said during presidential visits the police department modifies shifts "to the extent possible" so that an officer's working assignments can be part of their regular work day.
"Historically, this has been our approach in working presidential visits," he said.
Unlike Obama's visit, which was organized by the White House, Trump's visit was considered a campaign trip.
During the recent presidential campaign, Trump drew scrutiny for not reimbursing police departments that bore costs during his campaign visits and continues to face similar criticism for the cost to secure Trump Tower in New York City.
Ahead of Trump's arrival, Metro Councilman Freddie O'Connell, a liberal first-term councilman, urged Mayor Megan Barry’s office and the police department to enter into a contractual agreement with the Trump campaign for the reimbursement of expenses. That never happened, however.
Reporter Joel Ebert contributed to this report.
Reach Joey Garrison at 615-259-8236 and on Twitter @Joeygarrison.