Federal agents are investigating a suspicious homemade hunting stand found in the trees just south of Palm Beach International Airport, directly in the line of sight of the runway where President Donald Trump’s Air Force One regularly lands and departs. The discovery, made by the US Secret Service on October 16, 2025, during a routine security sweep ahead of the president’s arrival, has prompted a flurry of law enforcement activity and renewed questions about the security of high-profile political figures in a tense era marked by repeated acts of political violence.
The structure, described by multiple sources as an “unsophisticated, homemade tree stand” roughly 12 feet high and lashed to oak branches with weathered straps, was spotted in a dense tree line within sight of the president’s usual deplaning spot. According to WPBF 25 News, a high-ranking law enforcement official noted that the straps securing the stand appeared aged, suggesting the platform may have been in place for at least six months before its discovery. The stand was empty when found, and no one was seen in its vicinity.
Upon the stand’s discovery, authorities acted quickly. Southern Boulevard, a major thoroughfare near the airport, was shut down for 24 hours as FBI and Secret Service teams documented the scene, collected fingerprints and DNA from the ropes and carabiners, and dismantled the structure. According to The Palm Beach Post, the hunting stand and associated materials were flown to the FBI’s Quantico laboratory for “forensic and biometric analysis.” The FBI has not publicly disclosed what, if anything, those tests have revealed so far.
Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesperson for the Secret Service, confirmed to the media that the agency was “working closely” with the FBI and local law enforcement to determine the origins and purpose of the stand. “Finding the hunting stand did not affect any of the president’s movements,” Guglielmi said, emphasizing that the president’s security was not compromised during his weekend visit to Mar-a-Lago, which began on October 17 and concluded with his departure on October 19.
Still, the discovery has rattled nerves. The location of the stand—directly in line with the runway and within clear sight of where Trump disembarks from Air Force One—made it impossible for the Secret Service to ignore. Ross Thompson, a security consultant and former government intelligence operative, told The Palm Beach Post, “They’re going to find out where the materials were bought, down to the screw. They probably already have a good idea of where this material came from and who was in possession of it.”
The site is not a designated hunting area, and firing a weapon there would be illegal under local and state law. Yet, as Adam Brown, a hunter who reviewed photographs of the structure, pointed out, “You’re not hunting on Southern Boulevard. There’s not a lot of deer in downtown West Palm Beach.” Brown added, “If that’s in direct line of sight of Trump’s airplane, that would be, you know, an ambush point.”
Security measures around Trump’s arrivals and departures at Palm Beach International Airport are already extensive. Authorities routinely set up protective perimeters, station sharpshooters on rooftops, and use a fleet of yellow school buses to form physical barriers. Police checkpoints control access to roads leading to the airport’s Atlantic Aviation site. Following the stand’s discovery, Trump was seen boarding Air Force One using the plane’s small stairs—a change attributed by officials to “increased security measures.”
The incident comes against a backdrop of heightened concern for political violence. Just a month earlier, Ryan Routh was convicted of attempting to assassinate Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course in September 2024. According to The Guardian, Routh had scouted parts of the airport corridor, including the area where the hunting stand was found, in the weeks before his arrest. In July 2024, Trump narrowly survived another assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a shooter fired eight shots, grazing Trump’s ear and killing a spectator before being killed by Secret Service counter-snipers.
Other recent incidents include the September 2025 assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk while speaking at Utah Valley University, the firebombing of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s home in April 2025, and a June 2025 shooting that killed Minnesota’s former House speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband. These events have underscored the real and persistent threats facing American political figures, particularly in an era marked by deep polarization and recurring violence.
Law enforcement is not taking any chances. In the wake of the hunting stand discovery, the Secret Service and local agencies are evaluating additional perimeter measures at the airport, including the use of stacked shipping containers to block direct sightlines to the runway and motorcade routes. Items recovered from the stand—straps, ropes, and other materials—remain under forensic scrutiny at FBI headquarters, with investigators also deploying cell phone analytics capabilities to search for leads.
While some experts, like Thompson, believe the stand’s construction and location suggest it was more likely the work of a “wannabe assassin” than a professional operative, the potential danger can’t be dismissed. “You couldn’t just climb a tree and take a shot,” Thompson explained, noting that a serious assassination attempt would require heavier-caliber weapons and substantial support for the weapon and ammunition. “We have to be lucky 100% of the time. They only have to be lucky once.”
Members of the public have flocked to the scene since news of the stand broke, with some, like Paul Roach, expressing relief that “the Secret Service [is] doing their job for sure.” Others, like Diana Papa, voiced concern about the ease with which someone could have targeted aircraft: “That’s pretty scary because if they shot at the engines or something there, it could have been fatal as well.”
As of now, the stand’s occupant and intended purpose remain unknown. The FBI has not indicated whether any suspects have been identified, and officials have not clarified how long the structure may have been in place. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, for its part, has declined to comment on hunting regulations near the airport, referring all questions to the FBI.
Whether the hunting stand was a misguided prank, an abandoned curiosity, or something more sinister, its discovery has prompted a renewed focus on presidential security—and serves as a stark reminder of the stakes involved in protecting America’s highest office. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are determined to leave no stone unturned as they seek answers in a climate of heightened vigilance.
