President Trump makes first public appearance in Florida after alleged assassination attempt
SUNDAY. THAT’S COMING UP IN YOUR FORECAST IN JUST A FEW MINUTES. ALL RIGHT, GLENN, THANKS FOR TODAY BEING THE FIRST TIME THE PRESIDENT IS AT A PUBLIC EVENT SINCE LAST WEEKEND’S ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT. SECURITY IS, OF COURSE, RAMPED UP HIGHER THAN USUAL. INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER TERRI PARKER IS OUTSIDE THE KRAVIS CENTER WITH WHAT SHE’S LEARNED ABOUT THESE EXTRA MEASURES. TERRI. RIGHT. NOT ONLY IS THE SECRET SERVICE HAVING EXTRA PEOPLE ON THEIR PROTECTION TEAM, BUT THE PALM BEACH COUNTY SHERIFF ALSO HAS RAMPED UP SECURITY AS THIS EVENT GETS UNDERWAY TONIGHT. IT’S HAPPENING ON SEVERAL LEVELS. THE SHERIFF’S SWAT TEAM WAS HERE EARLY THIS MORNING ALONG WITH DEPUTIES. THEY BEGAN ORGANIZING OUTSIDE THE KRAVIS CENTER. THERE WILL BE HUNDREDS OF DEPUTIES BOTH HERE AND IN OTHER STRATEGIC SPOTS AROUND THE CITY. AND WHILE THE SECRET SERVICE DOES THE CLOSE UP DIGNITARY PROTECTION AND HAS SNIPERS ON GUARD, IN USUAL CASES, THE SHERIFF PROVIDES THE ARMORED VEHICLES, THE BOMB SNIFFING DOGS, AND THE SWAT TEAM THAT WILL BE ON FULL DISPLAY AT THIS EVENT TONIGHT. AND OF COURSE, THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF DEPUTIES WHO PATROL THE AREA AND ON STANDBY IN CASE OF ANY DISRUPTION OR EMERGENCY. THIS IS ALSO THE FIRST TIME THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS ATTENDED ANY PUBLIC EVENT SINCE HE WAS ELECTED THAT TOOK PLACE AT THE CONVENTION CENTER JUST DOWN THE STREET HERE. THAT WAS ALSO A TICKETED EVENT WITH TIGHT SECURITY. HOWEVER, SOME PROTESTERS USUALLY DO SHOW UP IN SITUATIONS LIKE THAT. AND FOR THIS, WE GO NOW TO CALEB CALIFANO, WHO’S STANDING BY LIVE AS WELL. CALEB, WHAT’S HAPPENING? AND TERRI. THAT’S RIGHT. WE DO SEE A HANDFUL OF PROTESTERS RIGHT NOW. PROTEST JUST OFFICIALLY STARTED A FEW MINUTES AGO. I’M GOING TO STEP OUT OF THE WAY TO SHOW YOU. YOU CAN JUST SEE THERE’S A HANDFUL AROUND 5 OR 6 HOLDING SIGNS. ONE SAYS NO KINGS IN AMERICA, OTHERS HOLDING FLAGS AND LOUDSPEAKERS AS WELL. NOW, WE DO KNOW THAT THIS PROTEST IS SET TO BE PUT TOGETHER BY THE GROUP PALM BEACH, INDIVISIBLES THEY PLAN TO GET AS CLOSE TO THE KRAVIS CENTER AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN. AND ACCORDING TO SOCIAL MEDIA, AS I SAID, THEY’RE ENCOURAGED TO BRING FLAGS NOISEMAKERS AS A SYMBOL OF, QUOTE, REJECTING TRUMP. NOW, AS TERRI WAS TALKING ABOUT, THEY DO PLAN TO GET CLOSE TO THE KRAVIS CENTER TONIGHT, AND WE ARE RIGHT NEXT TO IT AT THIS TIME. BUT THEY WON’T BE ABLE TO GET TOO CLOSE. THERE’S BEEN A NUMBER OF SECURITY SWEEPS AND BARRICADES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN PUT UP IN THE PAST DAY HERE IN WEST PALM BEACH. WE ALSO, AS TERRI SAID, THERE’S MULTIPLE OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT’S ACROSS THIS AREA, NOT JUST AT THE KRAVIS CENTER, BUT ACROSS THE STREET AT THE CONVENTION CENTER AS WELL. NOW, THIS ENTIRE AREA IS GOING TO BE ON HIGH ALERT, OF COURSE, UNTIL THE PRESIDENT LEAVES TONIGHT. WE ACTUALLY HAD A BOMB SCARE INVOLVING A U-HAUL TRUCK AT A PARK JUST DOWN THE ROAD YESTERDAY, SHUT DOWN THIS ENTIRE AREA THAT POLICE SAY WAS CLEARED NOT TOO LONG AFTER. BUT FOR NOW, WE’RE LIVE. CALEB CALIFANO, WPBF 25 NEWS. CALEB, THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND YES, THAT CLOSURE WE SAW YESTERDAY HAVING TO DO WITH THAT BOMB SCARE JUST KIND OF INDICATES THE TYPE OF IMPACT WE CAN SEE TODAY, ESPECIALLY AS WE APPROACH THE 6:00 HOUR AND THE ARRIVAL OF PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP. ZOOMING IN HERE FOR A LOOK AT CONDITIONS ON OKEECHOBEE BOULEVARD, AS YOU JUST SAW BEHIND CALEB, THINGS ARE LOOKING OKAY FOR NOW. TRAFFIC IS FLOWING, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE BARRICADES OUT THERE RIGHT NOW AND SOME SLOWDOWNS ON SOME OF THE SMALLER STREETS RIGHT NEAR OKEECHOBEE, INCLUDING SABADILLA SPEEDS AROUND 12MPH, AROUND 60MPH OFF OF TAMARIND AVENUE. SO MAKE SURE THAT YOU’RE PACKING A LOT OF PATIENCE AS YOU’RE TRAVELING THROUGH THIS REGION. IF IT LOOKS LIKE THAT NOW, WE CAN ONLY EXPECT HOW THINGS WILL BE LOOKING A LITTLE BIT LATER, WHICH IS VERY BUSY. AND WE’LL SEE SOME CLOSURES AS WELL. SO YOUR ALTERNATE ROUTES WILL BE BELVEDERE ROAD, PALM BEACH LAKES BOULEVARD. ALTHOUGH THESE ROUTES AREN’T VOID OF CRASHES RIGHT NOW, WE’RE SEEING ONE OFF OF BELVIDERE AND CONGRESS RIGHT NEAR THE AIRPORT, ONE A LITTLE BIT FARTHER EAST OF I-95 AT FLAGLER AND SOUTHERN BOULEVARD. JUST MAKE SURE AGAIN THAT YOU PLAN ACCORDINGLY AND PREPARE FOR ANY SHUTDOWNS. GUYS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YASMINE AHEAD ON WPBF 25. NEWS AT FIVE AND SIX WERE CLOSELY TRACKING PRESIDENT TRUMP’S VISIT TO FLORIDA, INCLUDING THE VILLAGES. AND BACK HERE IN PALM BEACH COUNTY. WE’LL BRING YOU MORE OF THAT COVERAGE FROM INSIDE THE EVENT AT THE KRAVIS CENTER TONIGHT, A
President Trump makes first public appearance in Florida after alleged assassination attempt
Updated: 4:28 PM EDT May 1, 2026
President Donald Trump made his first public appearance at The Villages in Central Florida following an alleged third assassination attempt against him. On Saturday, Cole Allen of California was accused of storming a security checkpoint at the White House correspondents’ dinner. Prosecutors said Allen was attempting to kill Trump and members of his administration. Allen is facing several charges, including attempted assassination of the president. In September 2024, Ryan Routh was accused of trying to kill the president after pointing a rifle through the fence of Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. In July 2024, Trump was shot in the ear during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Following the most recent incident, the president and his administration expressed confidence in the security protocols in place. “Look, I’m here to do a job. It’s part of the job,” Trump said. “The White House will continue to engage with DHS and with Secret Service to find ways to improve and strengthen security. But as far as Saturday night is concerned, the president was satisfied with the response,” the administration said. Security concerns remain heightened after a separate incident involving a suspicious U-Haul truck in West Palm Beach Thursday, Apr. 30. Police shut down roads for hours around lunchtime after a bomb-detection dog alerted on the truck. The bomb squad was called in, but after a search, nothing dangerous was found. “In today’s environment, you have to be safe. Everything that we put in place, law enforcement worked,” police said. “Our due diligence is always in play, and we’re going to do what we need to do to keep the city safe,” they added. The renter of the U-Haul said the truck had been parked in the area for days as she was moving and had paid for it to be there. She was not charged with anything. Stay up to date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. —
President Donald Trump made his first public appearance at The Villages in Central Florida following an alleged third assassination attempt against him.
On Saturday, Cole Allen of California was accused of storming a security checkpoint at the White House correspondents’ dinner. Prosecutors said Allen was attempting to kill Trump and members of his administration.
Allen is facing several charges, including attempted assassination of the president.
In September 2024, Ryan Routh was accused of trying to kill the president after pointing a rifle through the fence of Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.
In July 2024, Trump was shot in the ear during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Following the most recent incident, the president and his administration expressed confidence in the security protocols in place.
“Look, I’m here to do a job. It’s part of the job,” Trump said.
“The White House will continue to engage with DHS and with Secret Service to find ways to improve and strengthen security. But as far as Saturday night is concerned, the president was satisfied with the response,” the administration said.
Security concerns remain heightened after a separate incident involving a suspicious U-Haul truck in West Palm Beach Thursday, Apr. 30.
Police shut down roads for hours around lunchtime after a bomb-detection dog alerted on the truck.
The bomb squad was called in, but after a search, nothing dangerous was found.
“In today’s environment, you have to be safe. Everything that we put in place, law enforcement worked,” police said.
“Our due diligence is always in play, and we’re going to do what we need to do to keep the city safe,” they added.
The renter of the U-Haul said the truck had been parked in the area for days as she was moving and had paid for it to be there. She was not charged with anything.
Stay up to date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25
Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.