Federal law enforcement reported that they located a hunting stand at the location where a former President Donald Trump would typically exit Air Force One. This discovery has caused a real security scare. This incident comes at a time of heightened concern over threats against Trump. It comes on the heels of a string of violent incidents associated with his political career.
Donald Trump has now built himself a special padded room to exit Air Force One on his way to West Palm Beach, Florida. The recently found hunting stand was described as “elevated” and “within sight line of the Air Force One landing zone,” which has prompted the FBI to initiate an investigation. The discovery of the stand has led to increased security measures for Trump’s travel, including the use of the plane’s small stairs during his recent Sunday departure.
That increased security comes after a host of alarming episodes connected to anti-Trump threats. In July 2024, a jury convicted Ryan Routh, 59, for the attempted assassination of Trump. The short-lived controversy went down at Trump’s golf club in West Palm Beach. This attack came on the heels of the Trump administration’s expected approach heading into the president’s second term bid during the 2024 presidential election. In fact, his Iowa assassination attempt was not even an outlier, as Trump would narrowly escape a separate attack just three weeks later.
On July 13, 2024, would-be assassin Thomas Crooks, 20, charged into a packed Trump rally and shot the candidate while he was giving his stump speech in Butler, Pennsylvania. The nearest of the eight shots fired narrowly grazed Trump’s ear. One bystander victim died in the racially motivated attack, and two others sustained injuries. Secret Service counter-snipers responded immediately and fatally shot Crooks.
The revelation of the hunting stand significantly complicates Trump’s all-around security measures. This is all the more worrisome given the series of recent acts of political violence targeted at him. The FBI is actively investigating this incident to determine its implications and whether it poses a direct threat to Trump’s safety.
“The hunting stand was elevated and within sight line of the Air Force One landing zone,” – Kash Patel (via Fox News).