President Trump wasn’t home this weekend, but two people tried to get into the White House while he was away.
One man tried to hop the fence. Another tried to drive a stolen car past security officials, telling them he had a bomb in the trunk.
The first incident happened at 12:40 Saturday afternoon. The man has been identified as William Bryant Rawlinson, 58, of Silver Spring, Md. Police report the man was yelling incoherently. He was not able to get past the first set of bike rack fences on the north side of the White House.
The second—and separate—incident happened just after 11 p.m. at the 15th Street vehicle checkpoint. Sean Patrick Keoughan, 29, of Roanoke, Va., reportedly drove up in a stolen Chevy Impala and told Secret Service officials "there's a bomb in the trunk" while clasping an unidentified object in his hand. When officers pulled him out of the car, he told them "this is a test."
Crews searched the vehicle and did not find any explosives.
Republican President Donald Trump wasn't at the White House because he and his family are spending the weekend at his resort in Palm Beach, Fla.
It was the third security incident outside the White House in eight days.
On Saturday, March 11th, Jonathan Tran jumped over three barriers with mace in his backpack. He appeared in a California court this week, and said “I did it for attention.”
Tran was on the White House grounds for 16 minutes before he was caught.
Unlike this weekend, President Trump was at home during the intrusion.
“The secret service did a fantastic job, it was a troubled person,” he said.
“I think that there probably should be a little more security,” said White House tourist Ramses Mesis.
Tourist Tilman Hudson also thought it’s worrisome.
“I’m concerned. I wonder how that could be possible when Obama and every other president I’ve been alive for haven’t had that many.”
In fact, there were multiple intruders under President Obama. During his time in office, spikes were added to the top of the fence around the White House, and the fence itself was strengthened.
Rep. Jason Chaffetz, a Republican from Utah, said it should not be possible to scale the fence.
“That somebody could jump the fence of the White House, be on the grounds for upwards of 15 minutes, be right up against the pillar then jiggle the White House door, that can never, ever happen. And yet it happened again.”
Chaffetz will be meeting with Secret Service officials and officials from the Department of Homeland Security to discuss White House security issues on Monday.
