Donald Trump quickly boarded Air Force One using the plane’s small stairs in Palm Beach on Sunday following the discovery of a suspicious item in the area.
A White House official told Fox News that the president, 79, opted for the smaller stairs due to “increased security measures.”
The FBI are investigating the item, which officials suspect to be a hunting stand, according to Fox. It was discovered by the Secret Service on Friday, the day before Trump arrived in Florida at Palm Beach International Airport for a golfing weekend at his private resort.
The item was found in a tree that had a clear line of sight to the airport. NBC News cited a senior official familiar with the investigation who said the stand was “around 200 yards” away from an area where Air Force One usually does not park, but used on Friday due to construction at the airport.
“During advance security preparations prior to the Palm Beach arrival, which included the use of technology and comprehensive physical sweeps, our teams identified items of interest near Palm Beach International Airport,” Secret Service Chief of Communications, Anthony Guglielmi, said in a statement to the Daily Beast.
“There was no impact to any movements, and no individuals were present or involved at the location.”
The Secret Service said it was not able to provide details about the items or their intent, noting “this incident underscores the importance of our layered security measures.”
The president’s son, Eric, praised the federal agency on X after the find.
FBI Director Kash Patel said investigators have yet to link the suspected hunting stand to any individual and are working with local authorities.
“On Friday, 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 said in a statement to the Daily Beast.
“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.”
Air Force One’s small stairs are shorter and sturdier and provide access from the belly of the plane, not via the usual heightened level the president is usually seen entering and exiting the plane from.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
Trump did not discuss the latest security measures while speaking to the media on Air Force One on his way back to Washington on Sunday.
Trump was also filmed stumbling on the tall stairs of Air Force One during a visit to New Jersey in June this year.
President Joe Biden began to use the small stairs in 2023 following stumbles on the tall stairs, which keep his use of the stairs out of view of the public and media.
The White House at the time claimed the selection of stairs depended on issues of weather, security and the availability of rolling staircases.
There have been two assassination attempts on the president’s life in the last 18 months. Ryan Routh was found guilty last month of attempting to kill Trump on his Florida golf course in September 2024.
The 59-year-old was convicted on all five counts, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and firearms charges.
Trump also survived after being shot at by 20-year-old Michael Thomas Crooks during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania in July last year. Crooks was shot and killed by a Secret Service sniper.
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