The U.S. Secret Service has opened an internal review after an agency search failed to detect a loaded handgun in a visitor's bag at Trump National Golf Club Washington DC on Aug. 31 while President Donald Trump was present, according to agency statements and a report by RealClearPolitics.
The individual, a club member described by Secret Service agents as cooperative, informed the agency later the same day that a loaded Glock had been in his bag when he entered the protective site. The Uniformed Division officer who conducted the search of the bag has been placed on administrative leave as the review proceeds, the agency said.
A Secret Service spokesperson told RealClearPolitics that "the U.S. Secret Service takes the safety and security of our sites very seriously and there are redundant security layers built into every one." The agency said it initiated an internal review into employee conduct after being notified by the member that he had inadvertently brought the firearm into the protective site.
According to the report, the member moved through security checkpoints at the club while carrying the loaded handgun, and agents searched the bag but did not discover the weapon. The member later informed the Secret Service of the firearm and was interviewed by agents as part of the ongoing investigation.
The incident comes amid heightened scrutiny of protective measures after a near-fatal attack on the president at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, nearly a year earlier. In that incident, a gunman identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks fired a shot that grazed the president's ear; lawmakers and security experts criticized the agency's handling of protective perimeters following that attack.
The Secret Service did not provide further details on how the weapon bypassed detection or on whether the agency's secondary security layers were engaged or effective in this instance. Officials said the investigation aims to determine the circumstances of the breach and whether procedural changes or disciplinary actions are warranted.
Federal law and Secret Service policy restrict firearms and certain dangerous items from protective sites, and the agency routinely conducts searches and uses multiple security measures at locations where the president is present. The Uniformed Division is responsible for security at specific sites and for conducting physical screening of visitors.
The member who carried the handgun cooperated with agents, the report said. It was not publicly disclosed whether the member faced any criminal charges or administrative penalties as of the time of the agency statement. The Secret Service did not immediately respond to requests for additional information beyond its initial comment.
The review is ongoing. The Secret Service has, in past incidents, adjusted screening protocols and training for officers in response to identified lapses. Lawmakers and security analysts may press for briefings or further disclosures as the agency concludes its internal review and determines whether broader policy changes are needed to prevent similar breaches at protective sites.