Saturday’s shootout between the Secret Service and a deranged gunman near the White House marked the latest in a growing series of threats and security incidents involving President Donald Trump and senior administration officials, intensifying concerns about political violence.
As investigators continue piecing together the incident, authorities said Nasire Best, 21, of Maryland, approached a Secret Service checkpoint near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW at about 6 p.m. local time, removed a weapon from his bag and opened fire on posted officers.
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According to a senior administration official with direct knowledge of the incident, Best — who allegedly had prior encounters with the Secret Service and a history of mental health issues — fired about three shots toward the executive mansion before he was taken down by Secret Service agents.
The shooting comes just weeks after another armed suspect rushed the entry point of the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton hotel.
Authorities identified that suspect as 31-year-old Cole Allen, of Torrance, California, who traveled to the nation’s capital armed with multiple weapons and carrying a manifesto outlining his intent. Investigators also said Allen shared anti-Trump rhetoric on social media and allegedly expressed hostility toward Christians in online posts reviewed by law enforcement.
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According to investigators, Allen intended to target senior Trump administration officials attending the annual event before being stopped by law enforcement outside the Washington Hilton.
The alleged WHCA plot came less than two years after Trump survived two separate assassination attempts during the 2024 presidential campaign, incidents that dramatically reshaped security operations around the president and other top officials.
In July 2024, a gunman opened fire during a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing Trump’s ear, killing one rally attendee and injuring others before Secret Service agents fatally shot the suspect. Federal investigators later described the shooting as one of the most serious security failures in decades.
TRUMP RALLY GUNMAN ACTED ALONE, FBI SAYS — BUT QUESTIONS ABOUT MOTIVE PERSIST
Just months later, an armed suspect was discovered near Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, in what investigators described as a second assassination attempt. Prosecutors alleged the suspect had positioned himself near the course with a rifle before being spotted by Secret Service agents.
The heightened security posture has continued since those incidents.
In February, Secret Service agents fatally shot a 21-year-old man carrying a shotgun and gas canister outside Mar-a-Lago while Trump was in Washington. The incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. when the suspect made an “unauthorized entry” through the north gate of the resort as another vehicle was exiting. The man was identified as 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin of North Carolina.
Beyond those incidents, federal officials have repeatedly warned about a broader rise in threats targeting Trump and current and former administration officials, including dangers linked to extremist rhetoric, online radicalization and foreign adversaries such as Iran.
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Security concerns have also extended beyond Trump himself, with repeated swatting incidents, online death threats and increased protection measures for judges, prosecutors, and public officials connected to politically charged investigations and events.
Taken together, the incidents have heightened concerns inside federal law enforcement and the intelligence community about the escalating risk of political violence ahead of another contentious election cycle.
