Armed man detained at Trump golf course

A man carrying a firearm and ammunition was detained at a golf course owned by former U.S. President Donald Trump in Los Angeles. The incident occurred on Sunday, just two days prior to Trump's planned visit to the venue for a Republican National Committee fundraising dinner.

The suspect, identified as 38-year-old Jeanine John Taele from Downey, California, was observed by federal agents in plain clothes walking around the golf course. According to a statement from the local sheriff's office, agents believed Taele was monitoring security arrangements while taking photos and videos.

Upon his arrest, deputies found a 16-round magazine loaded with hollow-point bullets in Taele's pocket. A subsequent search of his vehicle uncovered a loaded handgun and another magazine containing similar ammunition. Investigators from the sheriff's office and the FBI's counter-terrorism unit later searched Taele's residence, discovering an assault-style rifle, a pistol, a bulletproof vest, high-capacity magazines, ammunition, two radios, and notebooks containing "disturbing statements."

Taele's arrest comes amid heightened security concerns surrounding Trump, who has been the target of several alleged assassination attempts since launching his presidential campaign. These incidents include an attack during a rally in Pennsylvania in July 2024, where a gunman killed a bystander and injured Trump's ear, and another arrest of an armed man at a golf course in West Palm Beach while Trump was playing. In April, Trump was evacuated from an event in Washington following an attempted breach by an armed individual, which resulted in a shootout with security forces.