The United States Secret Service (USSS) announced that an individual rammed a vehicle into a White House gate late Tuesday night and was reportedly sent “to a hospital for mental health services” following an arrest.
In a statement released on X, the USSS said the person, whose sex was not specified, drove a vehicle into the gate situated on the West side of the President’s Park at 17th & E St, NW, at approximately 10:37 p.m. ET.
“The individual was arrested & the vehicle was assessed and deemed safe. Our investigation into the cause of this collision is ongoing,” the statement concluded.
NewsNation White House correspondent Libby Dean reported Wednesday morning, citing an anonymous law enforcement source, that the individual “was taken to a hospital for mental health services.”
Trump was at the White House at the time of the incident, as the New York Times noted.
“The White House was not placed on lockdown, but the road leading to the gate will remain closed until the police tow the vehicle away,” the report noted, citing Secret Service.
The vehicle was removed from the crash site as of Wednesday morning, according to a photograph shared to X by Dean.
The incident came hours after Trump held two events in the newly-renovated Rose Garden on the South Lawn of the White House on Tuesday, including a lunch with Republican Senators and a dinner that Axios reports was with top GOP donors.
Trump has undertaken upgrades and cosmetic changes to the White House, ranging from his Oval Office decorations to his installation of a white stone patio in the Rose Garden since returning to office.
Wednesday’s incident comes just days after Trump began construction of the White House ballroom with a demolition project on the East Wing, which has drawn heavy criticism from Democrats and media pundits.
The collision also comes after Trump faced two assassination attempts in 2024, including one in which a bullet narrowly missed his skull, instead hitting his ear while he rallied on national television in Butler, Pennsylvania.
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