Armed man arrested at Trump golf club wore earpiece, photographed Secret Service agents, feds say

Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times on Aug 5, 2026

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LOS ANGELES — A man arrested in advance of President Donald Trump’s trip to the Trump National Golf Club had visited the facility twice in three days, wore a radio ear piece and took photographs of Secret Service agents at the Palos Verdes Peninsula facility, authorities allege.

After arresting him Sunday, authorities said they discovered a small cache of firearms at his home along with a security ID.

Hours before President Trump was scheduled to headline a Tuesday evening fundraiser at his Rancho Palos Verdes golf course, authorities announced that they had arrested Jeanine John Taele, 38, of Downey after he was found at the club with ammunition in his pocket and a loaded firearm in his pick-up truck.

According to the federal affidavit, Taele had visited the club twice ahead of the president’s visit — both on Friday and Sunday.

On Friday, federal agents initially saw a suspicious individual, who was later identified as Taele, walking around the golf course, according to the affidavit. Taele was wearing an earpiece and photographing agents while they were completing a security assessment ahead of Trump’s visit.

He then returned to the location on Sunday, authorities said.

L.A. County sheriff’s deputies detained Taele after he told federal agents at the golf club that he was a State Department employee there for security detail, according to an affidavit filed with the criminal complaint in California’s Central District Court.

A background check revealed he had a warrant out of El Segundo, so they searched his vehicle and found a loaded 9mm pistol with hollow-point rounds, binoculars and a badge that read “security protection agent,” according to the affidavit.

Following an interview, on Monday, sheriff’s detectives and FBI agents searched Taele’s Downey residence and found an alarming stash of weapons — including an illegally modified AR-style rifle, a .45-caliber pistol, body armor, high-capacity magazines and bulk pistol ammunition. Detectives found multiple notebooks containing “concerning statements” and two radio signal devices.

There was also another badge, this one gold or brass-colored that read “Fugitive Recovery Bail Enforcement.”

“Mr. Taele’s troubling behavior at the President’s public golf course merely days before the President was expected to arrive raised serious red flags for law enforcement,” said Patrick Grandy, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office. “There is no room for error, particularly in light of previous attempts on President Trump’s life.”

Taele was charged Tuesday with possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle, a felony that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. He is scheduled to make his initial appearance Wednesday in U.S. District Court downtown.

He also faces criminal charges in Los Angeles Superior Court stemming from the same incident, according to the DOJ.

Sheriff’s deputies arrested Taele on suspicion of carrying a concealed firearm and possessing prohibited ammunition Sunday, and a case was presented to the L.A. County District Attorney’s office for filing consideration Tuesday.

The FBI, Sheriff’s Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Secret Service are continuing to investigate the incident.

“While we are still investigating the motives of this individual, we are thankful he was apprehended before the President’s visit,” said 1st Assistant U.S. Atty. Bill Essayli in a statement. “Federal and local law enforcement stepped in early and prevented what could have been a dangerous situation from occurring.”

Authorities said they had identified “no credible threat to our communities.” The president’s Tuesday evening Republican Party fundraiser at the golf course took place as planned.

Reporters were not allowed inside the event, where a White House spokesperson said the president intended to tout his wins in advancing tax cuts and securing the border, while denouncing the “radical policies of Democrats like Gavin Newsom.”

Tuesday’s fundraiser marked Trump’s second trip to L.A. since returning to office, with the first taking place in January 2025 when he toured the fire-ravaged areas of the Pacific Palisades.

Newsom used Trump’s visit to call attention to the fact that many residents in the Palisades and Altadena are still waiting for federal wildfire relief aid, writing on X that the president has returned to L.A. “not to help, but to host a fundraiser at his golf club.”

Trump departed Los Angeles without incident Tuesday night and headed to Las Vegas, where he will deliver remarks on the economy at a casino Wednesday.

—Times staff writer Ana Ceballos contributed to this report.