Missile defense systems have been deployed near Mar-a-Lago and at the recently renamed Donald J. Trump International Airport in Florida amid what the Secret Service has described as a “heightened threat environment” ahead of midterm elections.
Photos taken last week showed two Avenger Air Defense Systems positioned on a barge near Mar-a-Lago, the president’s sprawling Palm Beach resort and primary residence where he frequently spends weekends. U.S. service members in fatigues were also visible nearby.
An Avenger system, designed to counter aerial threats, was also installed on the south side of the Palm Beach airport, which was rebranded in honor of the Republican president earlier this year, according to The South Florida Sun Sentinel.
“The U.S. Secret Service is operating in a heightened threat environment, and we continuously adapt our protective operations to incorporate cutting-edge tools, technology, and methods to safeguard our protectees,” a Secret Service spokesman told The Independent.
“At the request of the U.S. Secret Service, NORAD and U.S. Northern Command are providing Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System capabilities in support of our protective operations,” the spokesperson added.
North American Aerospace Defense Command also confirmed to WPBF that the defense systems had been installed “in and around” Mar-a-Lago.
Last week, while Trump was in Florida, a fighter jet intercepted a civilian aircraft that crossed into restricted airspace over Mar-a-Lago, The Independent previously reported.
“After the fighter jet executed a standard headbutt maneuver to gain the pilot’s attention, the civilian aircraft established communication and safely exited the restricted airspace in full compliance with flight instructions,” NORAD said last Saturday.
NORAD, a joint U.S.-Canadian military command, has intercepted upwards of 60 aircraft violating flight restrictions around Palm Beach since last January, according to WPTV.
“I would say that's a lot,” a NORAD spokesperson said during a media briefing earlier this month.
Trump, 80, has faced several alleged threats on his life, including in 2024, when an armed man hid in bushes along the perimeter of the president’s Florida golf club. In February, a 21-year-old man drove through a gate at Mar-a-Lago with a shotgun before he was shot and killed.
The president is spending Saturday at Mar-a-Lago after holding a midterm rally in Daytona Beach on Friday evening.
He is scheduled to travel to Kansas and Iowa on Sunday for two more rallies.
The White House had called off his appearances in both states but reversed course after a reporter asked Trump whether the cancellations were related to his health.
“You know what the reason is? I don’t feel I have to go to Kansas,” Trump snapped at the Reuters reporter on Thursday. “I feel perfect. You are disgusting.”
With Election Day just around the corner, polls indicate Republicans could suffer severe losses amid voter frustration over the cost of living and the ongoing Iran war. Numerous surveys suggest the GOP could lose its majorities in both the House and the Senate.
The Independent has contacted the Secret Service for comment.
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