As RedState’s Teri Christoph reported Tuesday, 38-year-old Jeanine John Taele of Downey was caught at Trump National Golf Course Los Angeles roaming around suspiciously in advance of the president’s Tuesday-night Republican fundraiser at the club.
Plainclothes federal officers observed him wearing an earpiece and taking photographs and videos as he scouted the location; when they detained him, they discovered he had an illegal weapon in his vehicle, and when they searched his house, they found an arsenal and a notebook filled with “concerning statements.” Turns out, he was also out on bail for previous firearms-related crimes in El Segundo.
Now he’s been charged, and he could be looking at 10 years in the slammer:
Jeanine John Taele, 38, of Downey, who was arrested at Trump National Golf Course Los Angeles in Rancho Palos Verdes, is charged in a federal criminal complaint with possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle, a felony carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in… pic.twitter.com/oY3ISp8n6x
— F.A. United States Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) August 5, 2026
Note: Essayli later clarified that the charge actually carries a maximum of 10 years, not a minimum. He continued:
Jeanine John Taele, 38, of Downey, who was arrested at Trump National Golf Course Los Angeles in Rancho Palos Verdes, is charged in a federal criminal complaint with possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle, a felony carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
Taele was detained after being seen taking photos and video of security-planning activities ahead of President Trump’s visit to the golf club today.
LASD deputies found ammunition in Taele’s pocket, searched his vehicle, and seized a loaded pistol with a round chambered and a loaded magazine.
A search of Taele’s residence seized high-powered firearms, ammunition, body armor, and a notebook.
Taele is charged in Los Angeles Superior Court with firearms-related crimes and a 2025 robbery. He was granted $250,000 bail in that case.
He is expected to make his initial appearance in the United States District Court in Los Angeles soon after his transfer to federal custody.
While we are still investigating this individual’s motives, we are thankful he was apprehended before the President’s visit. The @FBILosAngeles, @LosAngelesATF, @SecretService, and @LASDHQ intervened early and prevented a potentially dangerous situation. We thank them for their quick work.
This remains an active investigation.
Taele has even more legal problems on his hands; he’s also facing criminal charges in Los Angeles Superior Court over the incident.
RELATED: It Happened Again – Armed Lunatic Caught Scoping Out Trump Security Ahead of President's Arrival
Iran's Deranged Propaganda Video Gives Instructions on How to Assassinate Melania Trump
The guy doesn’t appear to be the sharpest pencil in the drawer — he tried to convince security agents that he worked for the federal government, and he even ratted himself out over having a weapon:
On August 2, Taele returned to Trump Golf Club. Golf course staff notified federal agents, who were continuing their security assessment. Taele approached the federal agents and stated that he was employed by the State Department and was at the location for security detail. Taele further admitted to having a loaded firearm in his car, which was parked in the Trump Golf Club parking lot.
He had plenty more than a loaded firearm, it turned out:
According to the complaint, the search of Taele’s pickup truck led to the seizure of a loaded 9mm pistol with a loaded magazine containing hollow-point ammunition, a pair of binoculars, and a badge that read, "security protection agent."
Authorities searched Taele’s home on Monday, which led to the seizure of an illegally modified AR-platform rifle, other firearms, body armor, high-capacity magazines, an earpiece, two radio signal devices, and multiple notebooks containing concerning statements.
It’s the latest in a long line of recent troubling incidents aimed at Donald Trump:
The July 2024 Butler, Pennsylvania assassination attempt, where 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks was able to shoot the thendandcate in the ear before law enforcement took him out for good
The September 15, 2024 incident at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida where Ryan Wesley Routh (then in his late 50s) was found in the bushes with a rifle (he was sentenced to life in prison without parole)
The April 2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner attack where 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen rushed a security checkpoint and shot an officer before being apprehended. He faces federal charges including attempted assassination of the president.
Like the others before, this (apparent) would-be shooter is likely to find out it wasn’t such a good idea after all. A decade in a federal prison would give him the time to reflect on that.
Editor's Note: Do you enjoy RedState's conservative reporting that takes on the radical left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.
Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member