A gold-and-marble building on Fifth Avenue that became the home of a president. Why is it famous, and why are there so many police outside?
Trump Tower is on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, one of the most famous shopping streets in the world. From the outside it is dark glass. Inside it is pink marble and shiny brass, with a sign on the door saying it is open to the public.
## A bit of history
The building was finished in 1983 by Donald Trump, a property developer. It is 58 storeys tall, with shops and offices at the bottom and apartments at the top. The city let it be built taller in exchange for keeping part of the ground floor open as a public space, which is why ordinary visitors like me can walk in.
## Why it became so significant
In 2015 Donald Trump announced he was running for president after riding down the escalator in the lobby. He won the 2016 election and became the 45th President of the United States, which is why there is a big round plaque with the number 45 in the lobby, next to a row of flags. He was elected again in 2024 as the 47th President. For years the tower was his home and his company's headquarters, so it became one of the most photographed buildings in New York.
## The Secret Service
In the United States, presidents, former presidents and their families are protected by the Secret Service. It was started in 1865 to catch people making fake money, and only later began guarding presidents. Agents work out who can go where, check visitors and plan for things going wrong.
## NYPD counterterrorism
Outside, I saw a lot of New York police, some in heavy vests and some with dogs. Many were from the NYPD's counterterrorism teams. Their job is to make famous places harder to attack, and to be seen - so anyone thinking of causing trouble knows they are being watched. The police and the Secret Service share the work.
## What I noticed
Even with all the security, people were queuing for photos and wandering in and out. In Aotearoa New Zealand the Prime Minister is guarded by the Diplomatic Protection Squad, but far more lightly. I wonder what that says about each country.