President Donald J. Trump boarded Air Force One differently on Sunday after t=the Secret Service found a suspected hunting stand with a clear line of sight to Trump when he boards and departs the aircraft.
Trump boarded quickly using a small set of stairs due to “increased security measures” at Palm Beach International Airport, a White House official tells Fox News, following reports that the suspicious structure had been identified by the Secret Services on Friday.
Air Force One’s small stairs are shorter and sturdier, providing access from the plane’s belly rather than the usual heightened level the president typically enters and exits from.
The president left Palm Beach on Sunday to return to Washington DC.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the “elevated hunting stand” was “within sight line of the Air Force One landing zone.”
“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,” Patel said.
No one has been tied to the stand, described as an odd collection of pipes.
“No individuals were located at the scene,” Patel said. “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.”
It was found in a tree near where Trump would enter or exit the presidential jet. A senior official familiar with the investigation said the stand was “around 200 yards” away from an area where Air Force One usually does not park, but they said it was used on Friday due to construction at the airport, according to NBC News.
“Trump has been known to host impromptu press conferences before boarding the plane in the past, chatting freely with reporters and answering questions about the news of the day,” Daily Mail notes.
