The White House stated that President Trump’s motorcade took a different route than usual when he departed from Florida on Sunday (January 11) due to a “suspicious object” at the airport.
The White House did not provide details about the object. The object was discovered during a security check before Trump was expected to arrive at Palm Beach International Airport in Florida.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned in a statement, “During a pre-check of PBI Airport, the United States Secret Service discovered a suspicious object. Further investigation is required, leading to the adjustment of the President’s motorcade route.”
When asked about the object on Air Force One, Trump stated, “I have no knowledge of it.”
According to reports from the Associated Press, Trump left Mar-a-Lago around 6:20 local time, ten minutes away from the airport. However, the route was changed to a detour through the city area.
During the drive, motorcycle police officers set up a mobile barrier for the motorcade, almost colliding with a van accompanying the procession at one point.
Air Force One was parked on the other side of the airport, in a different location from the usual spot, with its external lights turned off.
United States Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi mentioned that taking the secondary route was a precautionary measure. He stated that this was a “standard procedure” when encountering similar incidents.