A 38-year-old man, Jeanine John Taele, was arrested on Sunday, August 3rd, 2026, at the Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes, Los Angeles County, California. Local authorities said Taele was carrying a loaded handgun and hollow-point ammunition during the arrest, which occurred days before a scheduled visit by US President Donald Trump.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reported that Taele had been seen photographing and filming the golf club grounds while appearing to monitor security preparations ahead of Trump’s planned appearance at a Republican Party fundraising dinner on Tuesday, August 5th, 2026.

Deputies found a 16-round magazine loaded with ammunition in Taele’s pocket and later recovered a loaded pistol with a round chambered, along with a second loaded magazine, from his vehicle parked at the golf course.

Officials also revealed that Taele was already under investigation by the El Segundo Police Department for a separate robbery case. On Monday, August 4th, detectives working with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force searched Taele’s home in Downey, where they recovered an illegally modified rifle, a second pistol, body armour, high-capacity magazines, bulk ammunition, radio signal devices, and notebooks containing what officials described as "concerning statements."

The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue to assess the threat and circumstances surrounding the arrest.

Sources