Armed suspect arrested near Trump golf club before presidential visit

Authorities arrested an armed suspect at Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles in Rancho Palos Verdes ahead of a presidential visit, adding another security scare at a private Trump property on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The oceanfront club has become part of Donald Trump’s political and fundraising schedule, and the planned trip was expected to bring temporary flight restrictions and traffic delays around LAX and the South Bay. The arrest came against the backdrop of earlier security concerns at Trump events in California.

The later incident unfolded at the coastal golf club itself. CBS Los Angeles said the suspect had body armor and a green-and-purple AR-style rifle marked with Joker-style phrases, details that underscored how quickly security teams at Trump venues have had to respond to potential threats. The golf club sits in Rancho Palos Verdes, a setting that is private, exposed, and difficult to secure without affecting nearby roads, airspace and surrounding neighborhoods.

The security problems are not new. In October 2024, Riverside County sheriff’s deputies booked Vem Miller, a 49-year-old Nevada man, on suspicion of firearms charges after a checkpoint stop near a Trump rally in California. Officers found a shotgun, a loaded handgun, ammunition and several fake passports in his vehicle, and PBS News reported that Miller was released the same day on $5,000 bail. NBC Los Angeles later said a federal law enforcement source saw no indication of an attempt to assassinate former President Trump, and ABC7 reported that Miller said he had no intent to harm Trump.

That earlier case drew intense scrutiny because of how much it exposed the layered security demands around Trump’s appearances in California. NBC News said federal authorities opened an investigation after the checkpoint arrest, while local officials initially suggested the stop may have prevented a larger attack. The 2026 arrest near Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles showed the same basic challenge from another angle: protecting a sitting president at a private property where campaign-style events, fundraising dinners and travel logistics can turn the perimeter itself into a security vulnerability.