The FBI is examining a hunting stand discovered within sight of where President Donald Trump typically exits Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport, officials and media reports said Monday, October 20, 2025.
The structure was found during a U.S. Secret Service sweep ahead of Trump’s return to Palm Beach and dismantled for evidence processing.
Fox News reported that FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said agents are applying “all the forensic tools” available, including digital and biometric techniques, to identify who erected the stand and why, a description echoed in coverage of his appearance on “Fox & Friends”.
Secret Service personnel initially spotted the elevated stand last week and alerted federal partners. The agency said no one was present at the location. Local coverage indicated investigators secured the area and coordinated with airport authorities while evidence teams worked at the scene.
How the discovery unfolded
According to the Secret Service, the find occurred during advance security preparations before Trump’s arrival. The stand had a direct line of sight to the area where the president exits the aircraft, which triggered heightened concern inside the protective detail.
Axios reported that the FBI opened a formal probe after the initial sweep, citing public statements from federal officials about the timeline and the actions taken on the ground.
Authorities have not publicly described the stand’s construction in detail, but national and local outlets reported that it was positioned in a tree and offered elevation above surrounding terrain.
The Palm Beach Post said the structure was discovered before Trump’s flight into the airport on Friday, October 17, and that federal agents took the lead on the investigation that evening as the protective footprint expanded around the arrival area.
What investigators are doing now
Bongino told Fox News the stand was dismantled and transferred to an FBI lab. He described a broad forensic plan that includes physical evidence collection and analysis of potential digital traces.
Fox’s straight news coverage also quoted FBI Director Kash Patel saying agents are deploying specialized teams and cell phone analytics while working with the Secret Service to reconstruct how the stand was placed in that location.
A Secret Service spokesperson said the agency identified the item during standard pre-arrival sweeps and that no individuals were found nearby. Local television reports noted the discovery did not disrupt presidential movements and that investigators maintained traffic controls around nearby Southern Boulevard while they processed the scene.
