Secret Service discovers ‘suspicious stand’ with line of sight to Air Force One

Oct 20, 2025 at 07:25 AM CDT

Julia Marshall, Kalé Carey

Over the weekend, officials said a suspicious hunting stand was found with a clear line of sight to Air Force One. — Image credit: U.S. Secret Service

This recording was made using enhanced software.

Summary

Security investigation

The FBI and Secret Service are investigating a security concern near Palm Beach International Airport after discovering a suspicious hunting stand with a clear line of sight to Air Force One, according to officials.

Incident details

According to Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi, a hunting stand was found during a routine sweep on Thursday, hours before President Donald Trump's scheduled arrival in Florida on Friday.

Stand location

According to investigators, the wooden perch overlooked an airport section used for private planes and, at times, Air Force One. CBS News reports the stand appeared to have been in place for months.

The FBI and Secret Service are investigating a security scare near Palm Beach International Airport. Officials said the Secret Service found a suspicious hunting stand with a clear line of sight to Air Force One.

Officials discovered the structure on Thursday during a routine sweep. They found it just hours before President Donald Trump’s arrival in Florida on Friday.

QR code for SAN app download

Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.

Point phone camera here

“There was no impact to any movements and no individuals were present or involved at the location,” Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said.

Guglielmi said the Secret Service is working with the FBI to investigate the site. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that on Sunday. Patel posted on X, saying, “USSS spotted a suspicious stand near the AF1 zone in Palm Beach. The FBI is investigating.”

USSS spotted a suspicious stand near the AF1 zone in Palm Beach.

The FBI is investigating. pic.twitter.com/nMCoVP9mKB
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) October 19, 2025

The stand’s location

Investigators say the wooden perch overlooked a section of the airport where private planes, and sometimes Air Force One, have parked. CBS News reports the stand appeared to have been there for months, based on its condition.

A senior official told NBC News the stand was located across the street from that area, and that Air Force One had parked there in the past. The official stated that Air Force One hadn’t parked there recently due to construction, but would resume parking there again once the construction was completed.

Julia Marshall is a morning digital producer at Straight Arrow. With a strong foundation in the newsroom, Julia brings sharp news instincts to Straight Arrow, along with exceptional writing and editing expertise across a wide range of topics and platforms, evident in her ability to quickly break news and produce clear, informative stories.

Kalé Carey

Kalé Carey brings more than 5 years of news and media experience to the SAN team. She began her passion for storytelling at the University of Kansas before turning to local news in Omaha after graduation.

Tags: Assassination, Donald Trump, FBI, Florida, Kash Patel, Political Violence, United States Secret Service

Make SAN preferred on Google Show Transcript

[Kalé Carey]

THE FBI AND SECRET SERVICE ARE INVESTIGATING A SECURITY SCARE NEAR PALM BEACH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT — AFTER A SUSPICIOUS HUNTING STAND WAS FOUND WITH A CLEAR LINE OF SIGHT TO AIR FORCE ONE.

THE STRUCTURE WAS DISCOVERED THURSDAY DURING A ROUTINE SWEEP — JUST HOURS BEFORE PRESIDENT TRUMP’S ARRIVAL IN FLORIDA ON FRIDAY.

INVESTIGATORS SAY THE WOODEN PERCH OVERLOOKED A SECTION OF THE AIRPORT WHERE PRIVATE PLANES — AND AT TIMES, AIR FORCE ONE — HAVE PARKED.

A SENIOR OFFICIAL TOLD NBC NEWS THE STAND WAS LOCATED ACROSS THE STREET FROM THAT AREA, AND THAT AIR FORCE ONE *HAS* PARKED THERE IN THE PAST.

C-B-S NEWS REPORTS THE STAND APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN THERE FOR MONTHS, BASED ON ITS CONDITION.

Why this story matters

The discovery of a suspicious hunting stand with a direct line of sight to where President Donald Trump exits Air Force One highlights ongoing security challenges and federal concern for the safety of the president, particularly following recent assassination attempts.

Presidential security

Federal authorities found a suspicious structure near a presidential arrival zone, demonstrating the constant security risks faced by President Trump and the heightened vigilance of federal agencies.

Federal investigation

According to multiple sources, the FBI and Secret Service are actively investigating the hunting stand, indicating the prioritization of evidence collection and threat assessment at the highest levels of law enforcement.

Recent threats

Several outlets reference that President Trump faced two assassination attempts in the past year, placing this discovery in the context of persistent threats against high-profile officials and the need for continued protective measures.

Get the big picture

Synthesized coverage insights across 123 media outlets

Context corner

The discovery follows two recent assassination attempts targeting President Trump and comes amid heightened scrutiny and previous critiques of presidential security. The airport and Mar-a-Lago area are regular travel routes for the president.

Quote bank

“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,” said FBI Director Kash Patel to Fox News.

Solution spotlight

Secret Service advance security sweeps and coordination with federal and local authorities are highlighted as preventative measures that identified the structure before any incident could occur.

Law and Order

13 hrs ago

4m read

How old is too old to be executed? Florida’s about to break its freshly set record
Social Issues

13 hrs ago

6m read

Coverage of Graham Platner shows that Americans still doubt sexual assault victims
Social Issues

14 hrs ago

4m read

Could the World Cup revive America’s struggling dating culture?
Law and Order

15 hrs ago

3m read

ICE temporarily suspends most vehicle stops after 2 fatal shootings

Sources

Bias comparison

Media outlets on the left frame this as a "suspicious" security "oversight," emphasizing facts and how an "enigmatic device" "makes the FBI nervous.
Media outlets in the center introduce more speculation, portraying it as a "possible threat" or "sniper position," noting the stand "appeared to have been set up months ago" and the president's use of smaller stairs.
Media outlets on the right employ highly emotive language like "Yikes" and "shocking discovery," directly asserting an "assassination plot" or a "sniper's nest" explicitly "set up for one reason: to take out Trump.

Report an issue with this comparison

Media landscape

Click on bars to see headlines

123 total sources

Key points from the Left

U.S. Secret Service discovered a suspicious hunting stand near Palm Beach International Airport, which has a direct sight line to where President Donald Trump exits Air Force One, as confirmed by officials.
The FBI is leading the investigation into the discovery, as stated by Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesperson for the U.S. Secret Service.
No individuals were present at the scene, as confirmed by FBI Director Kash Patel, who also reported that the stand has not been connected to anyone.
The FBI is collecting evidence from the scene and has deployed resources, including cell phone analytics capabilities, following the discovery.

Report an issue with this summary

Key points from the Center

The U.S. Secret Service discovered a suspicious hunting stand with a direct line of sight to where President Trump exits Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport.
The FBI is leading the investigation into the discovery of the hunting stand, but no individuals have been connected to the scene yet.
The hunting stand appeared to have been set up "months ago," according to a law enforcement source cited by Fox News.

Report an issue with this summary

See Hide headlines from Center sources 15 sources

Key points from the Right

The U.S. Secret Service found a hunting stand with a clear view of Air Force One's boarding area at Palm Beach International Airport, according to Fox News Digital.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that the FBI is leading the investigation, noting that no individuals were found at the scene.
No ammunition or explosives were discovered, and the FBI is analyzing cell phone data related to the structure's origin.
This discovery follows two past assassination attempts against President Trump, raising concerns about his security, as stated by officials.

Report an issue with this summary

Other (sources without bias rating):

See Hide headlines from Other sources 38 sources

Powered by Ground News™

Sources