Police responded to a suspicious phone call at President Donald J. Trump International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday. Authorities restricted traffic around the terminal while officers investigated the report.
The incident occurred hours before President Donald Trump was scheduled to leave Florida, where he had spent the weekend. Officials did not disclose the nature of the call or indicate whether it involved a direct threat against the president.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office slowed vehicles entering the terminal and redirected traffic in the surrounding area as a precaution, according to local television station WPBF.
“Law enforcement is investigating a suspicious phone call. As a precaution, PBSO has slowed traffic entering the terminal. Travelers may experience delays,” the airport wrote in a post on X at 1:23 p.m. Sunday.
The airport also urged travelers to report any suspicious activity to law enforcement and thanked them for their patience as authorities responded.
A heavy police presence gathered near the terminal as officers investigated the call. Airport law enforcement told the Daily Mail that officials had no further details to release while the investigation continued.
The disruption appeared to be temporary. About an hour after the initial alert, officials announced that roads leading to the terminal had reopened and operations had returned to normal. Authorities had not publicly disclosed whether they identified a suspect or determined the call posed a credible threat.
The incident drew reactions on social media, where some users questioned whether the situation involved another attempted attack against Trump. One commenter wrote, “Here come the fake assassination attempts.” Another posted, “Here we go again. He never learns. No one cares.”
A third wrote, “Oh, here we go… another fake assassination attempt, right before the election.”
Authorities had not publicly confirmed those claims, and officials did not characterize the phone call as an assassination threat.
The incident comes amid heightened security surrounding Trump following two assassination attempts during his 2024 presidential campaign.
In July 2024, a gunman opened fire on Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. A bullet struck Trump’s right ear, according to reports. One rally attendee was killed, and two others were critically injured. Secret Service agents killed the gunman shortly after the shooting.
The attack prompted scrutiny of the agency’s security procedures. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned on July 23, 2024, and the House of Representatives voted the following day to establish a bipartisan task force to investigate the shooting. The panel released its final report in December 2024.
On Sept. 15, 2024, Secret Service agents spotted a man hiding in shrubbery along the perimeter of Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach while Trump was playing golf. An agent fired at the man, who fled in an SUV before being arrested.
More recently, footage from a Trump rally in Wasilla, Alaska, circulated online after Secret Service agents reacted to a man approaching the stage.
The video prompted speculation about what triggered the response, with one agent appearing to move his hand toward his waist. However, the footage does not establish whether the agent was reaching for a firearm or whether the man posed a security threat.
Sunday’s airport incident also brought attention to the facility’s recent name change. Florida lawmakers approved renaming Palm Beach International Airport after Trump, and Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the legislation authorizing the change.
Trump celebrated the renaming in a post on Truth Social. He wrote, “A very big day in Palm Beach, Florida, where it was my Great Honor to have the Palm Beach International Airport be renamed, by a spectacular vote, The President Donald J. Trump International Airport.
The Area is HOT, the Location is GREAT, and the Renovation will be SPECTACULAR. Thank you to all in Palm Beach for your Vote and your Confidence. This will soon be one of the Greatest and Most Spectacular Airports anywhere in the World! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
The first aircraft to arrive under the airport’s new name was “Trump Force One,” a Boeing 757 owned by the Trump Organization. Eric Trump was among those aboard when the plane landed shortly after 5 a.m. on July 9. The Trump family regularly uses the airport when traveling to and from Mar-a-Lago, the president’s nearby Palm Beach residence.
Eric Trump also praised the change in a post on X, writing, “There is no person who has done more for Florida and our country, and no one more deserving of this incredible honor.”
The airport’s three-letter IATA code officially changed from PBI to DJT on Aug. 18. State officials estimated that the renaming project, including updated signage and branding, could cost as much as $5.5 million.
