Car smashes into White House gates sparking mass police response
A driver has been detained by Secret Service agents after a car smashed into the gates of the White House.
The driver, who has not been publicly identified, was detained at the scene and is being questioned by authorities.
It is not clear why the black SUV rammed the security barricade at this early stage.
The car can be seen being towed away after the crash at around 6am on Wednesday.
Criminal charges were pending, the Secret Service said.
A police bomb squad was called to the scene, checked the vehicle and determined it to be safe.
A police spokesperson told CBS News that no injuries have been reported.
(Picture: AP)
‘Secret Service police officers with the Uniformed Division are looking into a suspicious vehicle,’ a spokesperson for the Secret Service said.
‘The driver of the car has been detained and is being questioned. Various entrances and the streets are temporarily closed as teams conduct their work. We will provide additional information once we get updated from officers later this morning,’ the spokesperson added.
It is the second time in recent months a driver has rammed that gate.
In October, another driver was arrested after a car was driven into the security checkpoint gate.
The Secret Service refused to say whether they believe that crash was on purpose.
Trump recently spoke about people ‘gunning for him’ after recent attacks at Mar-a-Lago.
Trump said: ‘I don’t know how long I’ll be around. I’ve got a lot of people gunning for me, don’t I?
‘But I will not forget them. I’m not gonna forget them,’ he added, referencing the Americans who were killed.
Trump’s comments are likely in reference to the chaos at Mar-a-Lago when police shot a gunman who entered the resort.
Austin Tucker Martin was the gunman killed by the Secret Service at the president’s Florida retreat after he drove through the north gate of the resort.
The President’s new ballroom at the White House will be built on top of a secure underground facility, it’s been revealed.
The current bomb shelter beneath the White House was first built in 1941, during World War Two, beneath the historic East Wing.
In October, Trump’s decision to demolish the historic East Wing of the White House angered many Americans, as he made way for new construction of his beloved ballroom.
Now, it’s been reported that the ‘dated’ underground shelter below where the East Wing was has been dismantled and is being upgraded
During a recent meeting about what the ballroom project means, officials did signal that it would ‘make necessary security enhancements’ – likely referencing the old bunker.
White House director of management and administration Joshua Fisher said at the time: ‘There are some things regarding this project that are, frankly, of top-secret nature that we are currently working on.’