Ahead of President Donald Trump’s departure from Palm Beach International Airport on Sunday night, a suspicious object was found on a road near the airport, the White House said.Trump, who had been at his Mar-a-Lago estate since Friday, took a different route to the airport, the White House said. His residence is about 5 miles from the airport.”During advance sweeps of PBI Airport, a suspicious object was discovered by USSS ,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “A further investigation was warranted and the presidential motorcade route was adjusted accordingly.”Anthony Guglielmi, the spokesman for the U.S. Secret Service, told The Associated Press a secondary route was taken as a precaution and that “that is standard protocol.”During the drive, police officers on motorcycles created a moving blockade for the motorcade. At one point, they almost hit the vans that accompanied Trump.Air Force One was parked on the opposite side of the airport from where it is usually located and the lights outside the plane were turned off.Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Teri Barbera said deputies, FBI and the Secret Service are investigating.A WPBF staff member nearby saw sheriff’s deputies with lights on at strategic points around the perimeter road. The Southern Boulevard ramp was shut down. At 8:24 p.m., the town of Palm Beach reported South Ocean Boulevard reopened between South County Road and Southern Boulevard.New York Times reporter Aishvarya Kavi, serving as a pool reporter, didn’t list when Trump left Mar-a-Lago or arrived at the airport. A report sent at 7:06 p.m. said Trump “was scheduled to return to the White House this evening” and included the statement from Leavitt. The next pool report wasn’t until two hours after Air Force One took off at 6:48 p.m.New York Post reporter Emily Goodin wrote at 8:45 p.m.: “The motorcade took an unusual route to Palm Beach airport, making a circular route around town.”The plane landed at Joint Base Andrews at 8:36 p.m. During a 21-minute talk with reporters, he didn’t mention the suspicious item.Marine One touched down on the White House’s South Lawn at 9:12 p.m.Before his departure, Trump played golf at Trump National Golf Course in West Palm Beach. He departed at 3:02 p.m. and arrived at Mar-a-Lago at 3:10 p.m.On Oct. 19, the Secret Service discovered what they said was a suspicious hunting stand with a direct line of sight to where Trump exits Air Force One. It was found one day before the president arrived for a weekend visit.The roadway reopened at 5 p.m. that day, about 24 hours after it closed to traffic.Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw responds to the search and says the object was a suspicious package and not considered a threat. Monday’s search was preventative as they plan to cut down some underbrush. “What we did is expand the area. so, we were pretty sure there’s nothing else in there and then going to get rid of all that underbrush. So it’s a lot easier to see and nobody can conceal anything in there,” Bradshaw said. There was in turning point in President Trump’s political career that highlighted the need of more security in Palm Beach County, Bradshaw says, “I think the focus became more sharpened when the guy was arrested in the bushes. So, the search area has expanded especially when the line of sight is across that canal to the airport. So it just depends on the area.”Bradshaw is referring to Ryan Routh — the man convicted of trying to assassinate President Donald Trump on a golf course in 2024. Leading to taking extra precautions when suspicious items are found, especially when president trump is home at his Mar-A-Lago estate. “We work very well with the secret service. When he comes to the airport, unless he stops and talks to people, we could get him off the airplane and get him to Mar-A-Lago in about 12 minutes.”The Palm Beach sheriff’s office was assisting the FBI in the preventative search on Monday, that started at Kirk Road all the way down to the next eastbound exit. Sheriff Bradshaw describes the suspicious package. He says, “It was like a cloth sack you know with different items. I mean it’s obvious it had been there for a long time. There’s nothing that was there, so just discarded items.”Bradshaw says the training doesn’t change when suspicious objects are found, these types of searches are standard operating procedure. “Any time there’s a suspicious package whether it’s there, sometimes people will report that there’s a suspicious package that’s left on the sidewalk near a business. and it’s the same type of response. you know security camera, get the EOD people there and make sure it’s not an explosive.”
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. —
Ahead of President Donald Trump’s departure from Palm Beach International Airport on Sunday night, a suspicious object was found on a road near the airport, the White House said.
Trump, who had been at his Mar-a-Lago estate since Friday, took a different route to the airport, the White House said. His residence is about 5 miles from the airport.
“During advance sweeps of PBI Airport, a suspicious object was discovered by USSS [Secret Service],” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “A further investigation was warranted and the presidential motorcade route was adjusted accordingly.”
Anthony Guglielmi, the spokesman for the U.S. Secret Service, told The Associated Press a secondary route was taken as a precaution and that “that is standard protocol.”
During the drive, police officers on motorcycles created a moving blockade for the motorcade. At one point, they almost hit the vans that accompanied Trump.
Air Force One was parked on the opposite side of the airport from where it is usually located and the lights outside the plane were turned off.
Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Teri Barbera said deputies, FBI and the Secret Service are investigating.
A WPBF staff member nearby saw sheriff’s deputies with lights on at strategic points around the perimeter road. The Southern Boulevard ramp was shut down. At 8:24 p.m., the town of Palm Beach reported South Ocean Boulevard reopened between South County Road and Southern Boulevard.
New York Times reporter Aishvarya Kavi, serving as a pool reporter, didn’t list when Trump left Mar-a-Lago or arrived at the airport. A report sent at 7:06 p.m. said Trump “was scheduled to return to the White House this evening” and included the statement from Leavitt.
The next pool report wasn’t until two hours after Air Force One took off at 6:48 p.m.
New York Post reporter Emily Goodin wrote at 8:45 p.m.: “The motorcade took an unusual route to Palm Beach airport, making a circular route around town.”
The plane landed at Joint Base Andrews at 8:36 p.m. During a 21-minute talk with reporters, he didn’t mention the suspicious item.
Marine One touched down on the White House’s South Lawn at 9:12 p.m.
Before his departure, Trump played golf at Trump National Golf Course in West Palm Beach. He departed at 3:02 p.m. and arrived at Mar-a-Lago at 3:10 p.m.
On Oct. 19, the Secret Service discovered what they said was a suspicious hunting stand with a direct line of sight to where Trump exits Air Force One. It was found one day before the president arrived for a weekend visit.
The roadway reopened at 5 p.m. that day, about 24 hours after it closed to traffic.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw responds to the search and says the object was a suspicious package and not considered a threat. Monday’s search was preventative as they plan to cut down some underbrush.
“What we did is expand the area. so, we were pretty sure there’s nothing else in there and then going to get rid of all that underbrush. So it’s a lot easier to see and nobody can conceal anything in there,” Bradshaw said.
There was in turning point in President Trump’s political career that highlighted the need of more security in Palm Beach County, Bradshaw says, “I think the focus became more sharpened when the guy was arrested in the bushes. So, the search area has expanded especially when the line of sight is across that canal to the airport. So it just depends on the area.”
Bradshaw is referring to Ryan Routh — the man convicted of trying to assassinate President Donald Trump on a golf course in 2024.
Leading to taking extra precautions when suspicious items are found, especially when president trump is home at his Mar-A-Lago estate. “We work very well with the secret service. When he comes to the airport, unless he stops and talks to people, we could get him off the airplane and get him to Mar-A-Lago in about 12 minutes.”
The Palm Beach sheriff’s office was assisting the FBI in the preventative search on Monday, that started at Kirk Road all the way down to the next eastbound exit. Sheriff Bradshaw describes the suspicious package. He says, “It was like a cloth sack you know with different items. I mean it’s obvious it had been there for a long time. There’s nothing that was there, so just discarded items.”
Bradshaw says the training doesn’t change when suspicious objects are found, these types of searches are standard operating procedure. “Any time there’s a suspicious package whether it’s there, sometimes people will report that there’s a suspicious package that’s left on the sidewalk near a business. and it’s the same type of response. you know security camera, get the EOD people there and make sure it’s not an explosive.”