Federal agents are investigating the discovery of a suspicious hunting stand found with a direct line of sight to where President Donald Trump exits Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport, a revelation that has reignited concerns over presidential security in a region recently scarred by assassination attempts. The stand, perched high in a tree and supported by green ropes, was uncovered by the U.S. Secret Service during advance security preparations before Trump’s arrival on Friday, October 17, 2025, according to multiple reports from Fox News Digital, The Hill, and CBS News.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed in statements to Fox News Digital and NewsNation that the agency is leading the investigation, with the Secret Service and Palm Beach County law enforcement closely cooperating. Patel explained, “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. 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.”
A photograph provided by the Secret Service and published by The Hill shows the stand nestled among branches, elevated well above ground level, and positioned more than 200 yards away across a highway from the Air Force One landing area. The structure, described as a platform or hunting stand, appeared weathered and was likely in place for months, according to law enforcement sources cited by CBS News and Fox News Digital. Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi emphasized, “There was no impact to any movements, and no individuals were present or involved at the location.”
The discovery came just hours before Trump’s scheduled arrival. The president departed Joint Base Andrews in Maryland at around 4:45 p.m. EDT on Friday, October 17, and landed at Palm Beach International Airport at approximately 6:25 p.m., as reported by The Hill. He spent the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago club and was set to return to Washington, D.C., on Sunday, October 19.
Southern Boulevard, a major roadway adjacent to the airport, was closed by the FBI between Military Trail and Congress Avenue for about 24 hours following the discovery, reopening at 5 p.m. on Sunday, October 19, according to The Palm Beach Post. Local authorities maintained a protective perimeter around the Atlantic Aviation site, where Trump and his entourage typically deplane, stationing sharpshooters on rooftops and using yellow school buses as barriers. Police checkpoints controlled access to the area, reflecting the heightened state of alert that now surrounds every presidential visit to Palm Beach County.
The suspicious stand was found after construction at the airport had recently ended. According to CBS News, Trump had not used this part of the airport in the past year, so the area had not been subject to regular Secret Service sweeps. Once Air Force One resumed use of the location, the stand was discovered during the initial security checks.
The context for this discovery is fraught with recent threats and attacks. Palm Beach County was the scene of an attempted assassination plot in September 2024. Ryan Routh, a 59-year-old Florida man, was convicted in September 2025 on five federal counts—including attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and multiple firearms offenses. According to Fox News Digital and The Palm Beach Post, Routh set up a sniper’s nest in bushes along a fence line at Trump’s golf course in unincorporated West Palm Beach, not far from the airport. Secret Service agents spotted the barrel of his rifle along the sixth fairway and fired at him before he could take a shot. Routh was arrested shortly after on Interstate 95 and is set for sentencing in December 2025.
This was not the only recent attempt on Trump’s life. In July 2024, during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Trump was injured when a bullet grazed his right ear. The attack, carried out by a 20-year-old gunman named Thomas Crooks, resulted in the death of one Trump supporter and injuries to two others. A Secret Service sniper killed Crooks at the scene, as reported by The Palm Beach Post.
The spate of security breaches has brought renewed scrutiny to the Secret Service’s protective measures. The agency has been quick to underscore the importance of its layered security protocols. Guglielmi remarked to Fox News Digital, “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.”
During the weekend of the discovery, Palm Beach County was also the site of large-scale demonstrations protesting Trump’s administration, with thousands gathering at four locations for “No Kings” rallies. The confluence of political activism, recent violent threats, and the discovery of the hunting stand has kept local law enforcement and federal agencies on high alert.
Despite the alarming find, officials have repeatedly stated that there was no immediate threat to the president during his visit. “There was no impact to any movements,” Guglielmi reiterated. The FBI’s ongoing investigation is focused on tracing the origins of the stand and determining whether it was intended as part of a malicious plot or was simply abandoned by an unknown individual. Investigators are using advanced forensic and cellphone analytics to comb for clues, but as of yet, no persons of interest have been identified or apprehended.
The Palm Beach International Airport, located less than a mile north of Trump’s golf club, has become a focal point for presidential security operations, especially in light of the recent assassination attempts. Each visit now prompts an extensive security operation, with agents, sharpshooters, and local police working in concert to secure every inch of the president’s route.
As the investigation continues, the discovery of the hunting stand serves as a stark reminder of the persistent risks facing public figures and the vigilance required to protect them. With the memory of recent attacks still fresh and the threat landscape ever-evolving, federal and local agencies remain on high alert, determined to leave no stone unturned in their pursuit of answers.
