THERE is nothing quite like a visit by the President of the United States (POTUS) to get everyone all excited.
It’s not just because the incumbent happens to be a controversial former reality TV star Donald J Trump but the visit itself entails security and logistic manoeuvres of epic proportions.
First and foremost, on the minds of certain online commenters was The Don’s choice of abode in his Kuala Lumpur stop-over for the 47th ASEAN Summit (Oct 26-28).
As claimed by Fakta Bukan Auta (@FaktaBukanAuta) on X, only two hotels in KL have bullet-proof rooms – the Ritz-Carlton and St Regis.
Ada 2 saja hotel di KL yg ada bilik bulletproof di cermin & dindingnya iaitu:
✅ Ritz Carlton & St Regis
US Gov pilih Ritz Carlton utk @realDonaldTrump sama macam Obama mai dulu.
Depa sewa satu hotel terus sampai hari Isnin 27 Okt. pic.twitter.com/QDE986IevH
— Fakta Bukan Auta (@FaktaBukanAuta) October 27, 2025
It was highlighted that the entire Ritz Carlton was booked for the duration (till Oct 27 when the POTUS departed for Tokyo) to accommodate The Don and his massive entourage.
The fact that this was shared extensively on social media represents quite a coup for the hotel brand. The same hotel was also used when President Barack Obama visited Malaysia (April 26-28, 2014).
Apart from creating a safety cordon for the former star of The Apprentice, the necessity for booking the entire hotel might have to do with accommodating the massive security detail that accompanies the POTUS on his travels.
As outlined on Malaysian Patriot Images – MYPATRIOT Facebook page, almost no stone is left unturned when it comes to ensuring the safety of POTUS on the road.
In a lengthy post accompanied with images, it appeared that the only thing missing from the listing were food tasters to ensure that there was no poison in Trump’s grub!
The post noted: “The involvement of various units was evident throughout his 24-hour visit.
“The hotel and the president’s bullet-proof limousine, Cadillac One/’The Beast’ or codenamed Stagecoach were protected by the Presidential Protective Division of the US Secret Service (USSS) along with other elements such as the USSS Uniformed Division, Technical Law Enforcement and the Special Operations Division Counter Assault Team.”
The security detail included:
- Cadillac One limousine specially flown in to carry POTUS anywhere, any time.
- RMP GOF Armoured Squadron with the new IAG Guardian APCs.
- USSS agents assessing the situation.
- RMP K9 and EOD/CBRNE members sweeping the area.
- USSS K9 Explosives Detection Team sweeping motorcade vehicles.
- Fully equipped RMP GOF Tiger Platoon members providing security for the venue.
- Members of the US Army First Special Forces Group (SFG) Critical Threats Advisory Company (CTAC) providing heavy support for the USSS.
- RMP UTK counter assault team (CAT) supporting their USSS CAT counterparts.
- USSS CAT agent.
- Armed RMP KL Strike Force member patrolling the area.
- A USSS agent standing watch.
- RMP Air Wing Unit anti-drone team on the lookout for unauthorised drone flights.
- US Army First SFG(A) CTAC counter-snipers.
Though the ensuing traffic jams created by The Don’s visit were a veritable nightmare, the fact that his entourage needed an entire hotel was a timely boost to the hospitality industry.
If nothing else, POTUS’s security detail was an eye opener – the logistics involved to cater for such a visit is massive, with nothing left to chance.
In the meantime, the Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur gets to bask in the glow of being official hotel of POTUS during his visit. So, if you fancy lying on a bed used by the flamboyantly coiffured president, you know where to make a reservation. – Oct 30, 2025
