Both the Secret Service and FBI are investigating the matter, officials said.
FBI Director Kash Patel and the Secret Service confirmed that a hunting stand with a line of sight to an Air Force One exit area was found near the Palm Beach Airport before President Donald Trump was set to arrive.
In a post on X on Sunday, Patel confirmed an exclusive statement to Fox News that the FBI and Secret Service (USSS) are investigating the matter. No person has been linked to the stand, he said.
USSS spotted a suspicious stand near the AF1 zone in Palm Beach.
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) October 19, 2025
The FBI is investigating. pic.twitter.com/nMCoVP9mKB
“USSS spotted a suspicious stand near the AF1 zone in Palm Beach. The FBI is investigating,” Patel wrote on X, also linking to his interview with Fox News.
“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,” Patel told the outlet. “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.”
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi confirmed to the news outlet that the agency is “working closely” with the FBI and local law enforcement.
“There was no impact to any movements and no individuals were present or involved at the location,” Guglielmi told Fox News, adding that Secret Service agents found the stand before the president was due to arrive in Palm Beach.
The agency also provided a photo of what appears to be the stand in a tree.
“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,” Guglielmi added.
