White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has lashed out at Democrats after a man reportedly entered the perimeter of Trump’s residence armed with a shotgun. She took the chance to blame the Democrats’ shutdown of the government last week, which she said led to a threat to thousands of federal law enforcement officers.
A 21-year-old man, who has now been identified as Austin Tucker Martin from North Carolina, entered the inner perimeter of President Trump’s property in Mar-a-Lago. He was stopped by security and caught carrying a shotgun.
The young man reportedly managed to gain access to the Palm Beach property when a guest was leaving. Trump was not present at his Florida residence at the time and spent the night in the White House. The gunman was killed in an ambush by the Secret Service and a sheriff’s office deputy at around 1.30 a.m.
In the middle of the night while most Americans were asleep, the United States Secret Service acted quickly and decisively to neutralize a crazy person, armed with a gun and a gas canister, who intruded President Trump’s home. Federal law enforcement are working 24/7 to keep our… https://t.co/MYTsHqR4cx
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) February 22, 2026
Austin’s family reported him missing in his home state on Saturday. Officials are now investigating whether he bought the gun while driving from North Carolina.
Following the encounter, Republicans, including Florida Rep. Brian Mast, tagged the ordeal as the third assassination attempt on Trump.
Leavitt took to her X account to point her finger at Democrats.
“In the middle of the night, while most Americans were asleep, the United States Secret Service acted quickly and decisively to neutralize a crazy person, armed with a gun and a gas canister, who intruded on President Trump’s home,” Leavitt wrote.
Leavitt blamed the Democrats’ venom towards the president and their cessation of the government for the incident. “Federal law enforcement is working 24/7 to keep our country safe and protect all Americans. It’s shameful and reckless that Democrats have chosen to shut down their department,” she added.
The first assassination attempt on Trump occurred in the summer of 2024 when he was participating in a campaign in Butler, Pennsylvania. The shooter, Thomas Crooks, managed to fire shots at him when he was on stage before being killed.
The fact that legitimate assassination attempts on Donald Trump are happening so often is completely ridiculous.
Whether you like the man or not, trying to kill someone is unacceptable—let alone the President.
We should never reach a point where reading about an attempt on… pic.twitter.com/bG0848rFbZ
— Zach Schumaker (@ZachSchumaker) February 22, 2026
Just two months later, a second assassination attempt took place in Florida, while Trump was enjoying golfing at his club in West Palm Beach. Ryan Routh. The shooter faces life imprisonment.
Leavitt isn’t the only person who feels Democrats are in some way responsible for the increasing hatred against Trump. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent appeared on Fox News on Sunday morning. He began his speech by stating, “Two would-be assassins dead, one in jail for life…this (is) venom coming from the other side.”
