The mayor of New York should refuse to pay for Melania Trump’s security, a leading Democrat senator has said.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, who represents New York state, said the Trump administration should foot the bill to protect the First Lady if she continues to live in the city rather than Washington DC.

During an interview with BuzzFeed News to mark Donald Trump’s 100th day in office, Mr Schumer said Mayor Bill de Blasio “ought to tell Congress if we [the federal government] don’t pay for it, New York City cops aren’t guarding it, and let the Feds put more people in”.

Ms Trump refused to move to the White House with her husband in January saying she wanted to remain in their Manhattan home so their son Barron,11, could finish the school year.

She is widely regarded as a reluctant First Lady and has been seen at her husband’s side on only a handful of occasions with Mr Trump’s eldest daughter Ivanka taking on most of her unofficial duties.

Security expenditure for the First Lady and her son costs between $127,000 (£98,000) and $145,000 (£112,000) a day, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD).

Earlier this month a petition calling for Ms Trump to either move to the White House or for the family to fund Trump Tower security themselves reached over 500,000 signatures on the government’s official e-petitions website.

Mr Trump has also faced intense criticism the cost of financing Air Force One and Coast Guard protection for his golfing trips to his Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago, on most weekends so far during his presidency.

Based on analysis by the US Government Accountability Office for a trip Barack Obama took to Florida via Chicago in 2013, people have estimated that the costs for Mr Trump’s private travel in his first 100 days are more than $21.6m (£16.7m).

Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Show all 33 1 /33 Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days in office were marred by a string of scandals, many of which caught the eye of the Independent's cartoonists Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's first 100 days have seen him aggressively ramp up tensions with his nuclear rivals in North Korea Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has warned of a "major, major conflict" with the pariah nation lead by Kim Jong Un Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump dropped the "mother of all bombs" on alleged ISIS-linked militants in Afghanistan, amid an escalation of US military intervention around the globe Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been accused of falling short of the standards set by his predecessors in the Oval Office, including Franklin D Roosevelt Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The tycoon's ascension to the White House came at a time when the balance of power is shifting away from Western nations like those in the G7 group Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Western politicians, including the British Conservative party, have been accused of falling in line behind Mr Trump's proposals Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Brexit is seen to have weakened Britain, reducing still further any political will to resist American leadership Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump's leadership has been marked by sudden and unexpected shifts in global policy Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's controversial missile strike on Syria, which killed several citizens, was seen by some analysts as an attempt to distract from his policy elsewhere Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The President has also spent a large majority of his weekends golfing, rather than attending to matters of state Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Though free of gaffes, a visit from Chinese president Xi Jinping spotlighted trade tensions between the two states Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One major and unexpected setback came when Mr Trump's Healthcare Bill was struck down by members of his own party Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been a figure of fun in the media, with his approval at record lows Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A string of revelations about Mr Trump's financial indiscretions did not mar his surge to the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Outgoing President Barack Obama was accused of wiretapping Trump Tower by his successor in America's highest office Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The alleged involvement of Russian intelligence operatives in securing Mr Trump the presidency prompted harsh criticism Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The explosive resignation of Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who lied about his links to the Russian ambassador, was just one scandal to hit the President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Many scandals, such as the accusation Barack Obama was implicated in phone-hacking, first broke on Mr Trump's Twitter feed Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's election provoked mass protests in the UK, with millions signing a petition to ban him from the country Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump cited a non-existent terror attack in Sweden during a campaign rally Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump stands accused of stoking regional tensions in Eastern Asia Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons North Korea has launched a number of failed nuclear tests since Mr Trump took power Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Theresa May formally rejected the petition calling for Mr Trump to be banned from the UK Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons When Mr Trump's initial so-called Muslim ban was struck down by a federal justice, the President mocked the 69-year-old as a "ridiculous", "so-called judge" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A week after his inauguration, Theresa May met with Mr Trump at the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first days in office were marked by a hasty attempt to follow through on many of his campaign promises, including the so-called Muslim ban Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's decision to ban citizens of many majority-Muslim countries from the US sparked mass protests Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Revelations about Donald Trump's sexual improprieties were not enough to keep him from being elected President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was criticised by many in the press for cosying up to the new President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One of Mr Trump's top aides, Kelly Anne Conway, was mocked for describing mistruths as "alternative facts" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was quick to demonstrate that her political aims did not hugely differ from Mr Trump's Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's inauguration, on 20 January 2017, sparked protests both at home and abroad

By comparison the total cost of Mr Obama’s private trips during his eight-year presidency was estimated at $96.9m (£74.8m) – or $12m (£9.2m) per year – according to conservative think tank Judicial Watch.

In the interview Mr Schumer, who as the highest-ranking Democrat in the Capitol is the titular head of the opposition, called Mr Trump's tenure so far “a huge disappointment to most Americans”.

He said the former reality star had demonstrated “sheer incompetence” in office and mocked his remark that he thought the presidency “would be easier” than his previous career.