President Donald Trump’s security detail is once again under the microscope after two recent incidents at his favorite haunts—his Virginia golf club and a high-profile D.C. restaurant—have reignited concerns about the effectiveness of the U.S. Secret Service’s protective measures. These lapses come just over a year after two assassination attempts against Trump, raising questions about whether lessons from the past have been fully learned and implemented.
The latest security breach occurred on August 31, 2025, at Trump National Golf Club Washington DC in Sterling, Virginia, while the president was on the premises. According to multiple reports confirmed by the Secret Service, a club member inadvertently carried a Glock handgun in his bag through security. The firearm went undetected during a manual search conducted by an agent using a handheld magnetometer, rather than a more robust walk-through device. The club member only realized the weapon was in his possession after passing through the screening and promptly alerted the Secret Service. He was described by officials as “cooperative” and was interviewed by agents on site.
“The U.S. Secret Service takes the safety and security of our sites very seriously and there are redundant security layers built into every one,” an agency spokesperson said in a statement, as reported by the Washington Examiner. The agency emphasized that “video surveillance indicates the club member was never in close physical proximity to the President’s location at any point while at the golf club.”
The agent responsible for the screening was immediately removed from operational duties and placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal review. Secret Service Director Sean Curran and Deputy Director Matthew Quinn visited the golf club in person to receive a detailed briefing and review security procedures, according to both RealClearPolitics and the New York Post.
This incident has only added to the pressure on the Secret Service, which has faced intense scrutiny since two assassination attempts on Trump in 2024. The first, on July 13, 2024, occurred at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump narrowly survived after a bullet grazed his right ear. That attack led to the resignation of then-Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, just nine days later, amid widespread criticism of the agency’s performance. The second attempt happened on September 15, 2024, at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. There, a Secret Service agent fired at Ryan Wesley Routh, who was allegedly lying in wait with a rifle while Trump was only a few hundred yards away. Routh was apprehended nearby, and jury selection for his federal trial began earlier this month in Fort Pierce, Florida. He faces charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate and assaulting a federal officer, among others.
Despite these close calls, President Trump has continued to publicly defend the Secret Service. In an interview with his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, aired on Fox News on July 12, 2025, he said, “I have great confidence in these people. I know the people. And they’re very talented, very capable. But they had a bad day. And I think they’ll admit that. They had a rough day.” As The Post reports, Trump has frequented the Virginia golf course since returning to the presidency earlier this year, underscoring the importance of airtight security at such venues.
The August 31 security lapse has prompted calls for a reevaluation of protocols at Trump’s properties, especially since handheld magnetometers—rather than walk-through devices—were used for guest screening at the Sterling club, located just 25 miles northwest of the White House. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed, “The agency has opened an investigation into the incident to figure out exactly how the gun made it onto the property,” as reported by RealClearPolitics. However, she did not specify whether new measures, such as mandatory walk-through magnetometers, would be introduced.
Former Secret Service special agent Richard Staropoli, speaking to RealClearPolitics, questioned the thoroughness of the search, stating, “How do you miss a weapon in a bag? Either you search it, or you don’t.” The club member, reportedly “shaken and incensed” after realizing the gun had not been detected, cooperated fully with the ensuing investigation.
Just days after the golf club incident, on September 9, 2025, Trump’s security was tested again—this time in the heart of Washington, D.C. During an unscheduled dinner at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab, a group of CODEPINK protesters disrupted the president’s meal, chanting “Free D.C. Free Palestine! Trump is the Hitler of our time!” and waving Palestinian flags just feet from Trump’s table. According to the Washington Examiner, this marked Trump’s first dinner at a D.C. restaurant outside the former Trump Hotel since taking office in 2017, and was intended to highlight his administration’s efforts to crack down on crime in the capital.
The protesters, including D.C. organizer Olivia DiNucci, had received a tip about Trump’s plans and made a last-minute reservation at the restaurant. They were able to order dinner and drinks before launching their protest as Trump was seated nearby. Videos posted by CODEPINK show the group confronting the president from close range. The Secret Service later stated that all restaurant guests, including the protesters, had been screened prior to Trump’s arrival and that the situation was “quickly resolved by Secret Service personnel who were actively engaged in ensuring the President’s safety and the dinner continued without further incident.”
Still, the ease with which demonstrators were able to get so close to the president—especially in the wake of last year’s assassination attempts—sparked concern among Trump’s supporters and conservative commentators. The White House, when asked about the August security breach, referred inquiries to the Secret Service’s official comments and maintained that the administration was still in “fact-finding mode” regarding the restaurant disruption.
The recent string of incidents has also prompted reflection on the evolution of presidential security. After the 2024 attempts, former President Joe Biden, then in office, surged resources to Trump’s Secret Service detail and initiated agency-wide reviews and reforms. The current administration continues to express confidence in the protective agency. “As for the president, in the past he has said he trusts USSS and the job they do to protect him,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, as reported by the Washington Examiner.
As the Secret Service’s internal review proceeds, the agency faces mounting pressure to reassure the public and the political establishment that it can meet the unique security challenges posed by a presidency marked by both high-profile threats and intense partisan scrutiny. For now, the eyes of the nation—and the world—remain fixed on how the agency adapts and responds to its most recent tests.
Whether these recent lapses will lead to lasting changes in presidential security or simply become another chapter in the storied history of Secret Service challenges remains to be seen.
