Discovery of ‘Hunting Stand’ With Line of Sight to Palm Beach Airport Frequented by Trump Prompts FBI Investigation

The FBI is leading an investigation into the discovery of a “hunting stand” in the direct line of sight to where President Trump exits Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport, the bureau’s chief, Kash Patel, says. The stand, which looks like a green swing with multiple straps wrapped around the tree’s branches, was discovered by Secret Service agents on Thursday while they were conducting a routine security sweep ahead of the president’s arrival for the weekend to his Mar-a-Lago home at Palm Beach. “Prior to the president’s return to West Palm Beach, USSS discovered what appeared to be an elevated hunting stand within sight line of the Air Force One landing zone,” Mr. Patel told Fox News Digital. “No individuals were located at the scene. The FBI has since taken the investigatory lead, flying in resources to collect all evidence from the scene, and deploying our cell phone analytics capabilities.”Officials did not say whether the tree is located on private grounds or its distance from the airport tarmac, but a law enforcement official told Fox News that the stand looks to have been set up months ago.The Secret Service’s chief of communications, Anthony Gugliemi, said the discovery did not impact the president’s travel. “While we are not able to provide details about the specific items or their intent, this incident underscores the importance of our layered security measures,” Mr. Gugliemi told the news outlet.Secret Service officials and local Palm Beach county officers had been performing routine training at Mar-a-Lago in the days before the discovery. Local officials are also participating in the investigation.The investigation comes after Secret Service agents killed a man who attempted to assassinate the president during a campaign appearance at Butler, Pennsylvania in July 2024. The suspect, Thomas Matthew Crooks, nicked the president’s ear and killed a spectator on the stage.Last month, another would-be assassin, Ryan Routh, was convicted of attempting to kill the president at the Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach in September 2024. Routh was apprehended after fleeing the location where he was spotted aiming a loaded rifle with a scope at a Secret Service agent. Routh, who defended himself at trial and now faces life in prison, attempted to stab himself in the neck with a pen after he was convicted.

Discovery of ‘Hunting Stand’ With Line of Sight to Palm Beach Airport Frequented by Trump Prompts FBI Investigation

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