How Trump Tower Security is Affecting Local Businesses

Since Donald Trump set up his presidential transition headquarters at Trump Tower in midtown Manhattan, businesses have been complaining about the impact the intense security has had on their establishments. Now, several of those businesses are banding together to push back. 

 

Derek Walsh owns the Judge Roy Bean Public House, a small bar-restaurant near Trump Tower. He said the surrounding streets look like a war zone- complete with bomb squads, barricades and dozens of police officers. It's been over a month since the election, and Walsh says his bar's revenue is down 30 percent. So Walsh and more than 40 other small-business owners on the block have signed a petition. They're asking for the barricades to be moved across the street to make it easier for customers to access their establishments. Walsh said he understands that the president-elect's safety is important, but he doesn't know how long he'll be able to continue like this.

 

"I own a business, I have employees that rely on my business. I've got a lady working here for 19 years. She's got three kids...and she deserves the right to know what's gonna happen to her job after the inauguration," he said.

 

A report released by Comptroller Scott Stringer shows that Walsh isn't alone. It found that 80 percent of businesses in the area are losing money because of the barricades.