President Donald Trump appears unfazed by the latest potential threat against his life, after a heavily armed man was arrested Sunday at Trump National Golf Course Los Angeles in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.
Trump addressed his being targeted on “Fox News @ Night” Tuesday, saying: “Well, the only thing I get a little solace from is, they say only consequential presidents. And I am definitely consequential.”
🚨 UPDATE: President Trump just dropped this fearless line after ANOTHER assassination attempt — this time at his California golf course
“The only thing I get a little solace in is they say only CONSEQUENTIAL presidents. And I am DEFINITELY consequential.”
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 5, 2026
U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli says Jeanine John Taele, 38, of Downey, California, is charged in a federal criminal complaint with possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle, a felony carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
“Taele was detained after being seen taking photos and video of security-planning activities ahead of President Trump’s visit to the golf club,” Essayli indicated.
“LASD deputies found ammunition in Taele’s pocket, searched his vehicle, and seized a loaded pistol with a round chambered and a loaded magazine. A search of Taele’s residence seized high-powered firearms, ammunition, body armor, and a notebook.”
“Taele is charged in Los Angeles Superior Court with firearms-related crimes and a 2025 robbery. He was granted $250,000 bail in that case.”
Jeanine John Taele, 38, of Downey, who was arrested at Trump National Golf Course Los Angeles in Rancho Palos Verdes, is charged in a federal criminal complaint with possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle, a felony carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in… pic.twitter.com/oY3ISp8n6x
— F.A. United States Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) August 5, 2026
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department stated: “The individual was observed walking throughout the golf course grounds taking photographs and videos and appearing to monitor security-planning activities.
“Lomita Sheriff’s deputies contacted the individual, an adult male identified as 38-year-old Jeanine John Taele from Downey, and determined he was being investigated for robbery by the El Segundo Police Department. Deputies detained Taele and located his vehicle in a parking lot on the golf course.”
Federal authorities arrested an armed California man at Trump National Golf Club in Southern California just two days before President Trump’s scheduled visit. Jeanine John Taele has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from the incident.
Investigators say Taele was seen… pic.twitter.com/CWxe066J2P
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) August 5, 2026
“During the detention, deputies recovered a 16-round magazine containing hollow point ammunition from Taele’s pants pocket. Deputies subsequently searched Taele’s vehicle and recovered a loaded pistol with a round chambered, along with an additional loaded magazine containing hollow point ammunition.”
During a search of Taele’s residence, investigators recovered:
• An illegally modified AR platform rifle
• A 1911 .45 caliber pistol
• An AR platform upper receiver
• Body armor
• High-capacity magazines
• Bulk pistol and rifle ammunition
• Multiple notebooks containing concerning statements
• Two radio signal devices
Appearing on “America’s Newsroom” on the Fox News Channel Wednesday morning, retired FBI special agent James Gagliano called the suspect at “complete amateur” and “‘probably someone with mental health issues.”
“This was not a professional,” he explained. “There’s no way in the world somebody was going to case a joint and was a professional criminal or somebody that was seeking to assassinate the president who was supposed to appear there in a couple of days that he would have gone about it this way. This was total cosplaying.”
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