Armed man arrested near Trump golf course in Los Angeles three days before President's visit

Published Aug 5, 04:35 PM UTC

On August 2, 2026, federal authorities arrested Jeanine John Taele, 38, at Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles, California, three days before President Donald Trump was scheduled to visit. Taele had first appeared at the course on July 31, wearing an earpiece and taking photos and video while the Secret Service conducted a security assessment. On August 2, he returned and falsely claimed to be working for State Department security. After detention by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, deputies found a 16-round magazine with hollow-point bullets in his pockets and a loaded 9mm pistol in his pickup truck. A subsequent home search uncovered a modified AR-platform rifle, body armor, and notebooks containing 'concerning statements.' Taele faces federal charges of possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle, a felony carrying up to 10 years in prison. The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating, citing previous attempts on Trump's life.