Authorities apprehended an individual who climbed up, then back down, the White House fence on Monday. The incident, captured on camera, showed the individual sliding back down on the outside of the fence after reaching the top.
According to a statement from the U.S. Secret Service, the incident took place on February 3rd at approximately 4:20 p.m. U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division officers responded to the individual climbing an outer fence along the South Grounds of the White House and subsequently took the individual into custody.
The U.S. Secret Service emphasized that the White House complex is secured by a combination of uniformed officers, special agents, mission support personnel, and advanced protective systems covering its 18 acres. The agency stated that a protective operations review will be conducted to assess the incident and the response.
This incident occurred just two weeks after President Donald Trump was inaugurated for his second term in office. Trump had previously survived a near-miss assassination attempt in July 2024 when a bullet struck his ear during a rally in Pennsylvania. In September of the same year, a man was charged for allegedly attempting to kill Trump while he was at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.
President Trump, who won the 2024 presidential election, was sworn in on January 20th. He became the second president in American history to be elected to two non-consecutive terms, following Grover Cleveland in the 19th century.
