• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechDonald Trump

President Trump Will Be Joined on Vacation By a Drone

By
The Associated Press
The Associated Press
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
The Associated Press
The Associated Press
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 4, 2017, 2:43 PM ET

Golfers and neighbors of Donald Trump’s New Jersey course will have something more than just the president to look out for over the next few weeks.

A tethered unmanned surveillance aircraft will be flying over the Bedminster area as part of a test while Trump is staying at his home on the golf course on a 17-day vacation that starts Friday, the Secret Service said in a privacy notice issued this week.

The Department of Homeland Security says it is conducting a privacy impact assessment to evaluate privacy risks from the drone’s surveillance and image-capturing capabilities. The department warns of the risk that someone’s privacy could be unintentionally violated but says that the system can’t collect information about what occurs inside buildings.

A similar surveillance system was used to provide security for this year’s Boston Marathon and by the military.

While the surveillance aircraft will be 300 to 400 feet in the air around the golf club, other aircraft will be barred from the area.

Flight restrictions for Trump’s visits have led to complaints for those who own and operate a group of small airports around the club. Two airports within 10 miles of the club aren’t allowed to have planes take off or land while Trump is in town, and those within 30 miles face restrictions.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

That also means flight schools and skydiving operations using those airports are forced to close down.

“The most devastating part of it is that it essentially makes attracting new business impossible, because we can’t offer universal access to the airport,” said Thor Solberg, who owns the Solberg Airport a few miles from the golf club. “The future of the airport really depends on attracting new activity to the facility, which is really hard to sell when you can’t guarantee that the airport will be open all the time.”

Republican Rep. Leonard Lance, who represents the district around the club, led a group of congressmen in a letter sent to the Secret Service last month asking for help “in lessening the economic and operational burden” from the flight restrictions when Trump is in town. The letter asks that the Secret Service implement the type of aviation security policies in place near Washington, D.C., which allows properly vetted private pilots to fly.

Lance’s spokesman said it hasn’t received a response from the Secret Service on the request.

About the Author
By The Associated Press
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

AIchief executive officer (CEO)
Microsoft AI boss Suleyman opens up about his peers and calls Elon Musk a ‘bulldozer’ with ‘superhuman capabilities to bend reality to his will’
By Jason MaDecember 13, 2025
3 hours ago
InvestingStock
There have been head fakes before, but this time may be different as the latest stock rotation out of AI is just getting started, analysts say
By Jason MaDecember 13, 2025
8 hours ago
Politicsdavid sacks
Can there be competency without conflict in Washington?
By Alyson ShontellDecember 13, 2025
9 hours ago
InnovationRobots
Even in Silicon Valley, skepticism looms over robots, while ‘China has certainly a lot more momentum on humanoids’
By Matt O'Brien and The Associated PressDecember 13, 2025
11 hours ago
Sarandos
Arts & EntertainmentM&A
It’s a sequel, it’s a remake, it’s a reboot: Lawyers grow wistful for old corporate rumbles as Paramount, Netflix fight for Warner
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 13, 2025
15 hours ago
Oracle chairman of the board and chief technology officer Larry Ellison delivers a keynote address during the 2019 Oracle OpenWorld on September 16, 2019 in San Francisco, California.
AIOracle
Oracle’s collapsing stock shows the AI boom is running into two hard limits: physics and debt markets
By Eva RoytburgDecember 13, 2025
16 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Success
Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne sold his 10% stake for $800 in 1976—today it’d be worth up to $400 billion
By Preston ForeDecember 12, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Tariffs are taxes and they were used to finance the federal government until the 1913 income tax. A top economist breaks it down
By Kent JonesDecember 12, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
40% of Stanford undergrads receive disability accommodations—but it’s become a college-wide phenomenon as Gen Z try to succeed in the current climate
By Preston ForeDecember 12, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
The Fed just ‘Trump-proofed’ itself with a unanimous move to preempt a potential leadership shake-up
By Jason MaDecember 12, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
For the first time since Trump’s tariff rollout, import tax revenue has fallen, threatening his lofty plans to slash the $38 trillion national debt
By Sasha RogelbergDecember 12, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Apple CEO Tim Cook out-earns the average American’s salary in just 7 hours—to put that into context, he could buy a new $439,000 home in just 2 days
By Emma BurleighDecember 12, 2025
1 day ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.