Car strikes sign near the White House
On 9 November 2026, a silver sedan drove onto the pedestrian area on the north side of Lafayette Park, across from the White House, and struck an information board. The impact happened at around 10:02 local time (15:02 GMT). The car came to rest more than a block from the White House gates, and no injuries had been reported in early coverage. Officers pulled the driver out of the vehicle and pinned him down after a struggle, footage shared on social media shows. White smoke rose from the car as National Guard members and police gathered around it.
A second arrest and the search for explosives
Around the same time, another person stepped over a barrier near the north-western corner of the park and was also detained within moments, the Secret Service said. The agency described the driver as aggressive toward security personnel before he was arrested. Both incidents are under investigation, and it is not yet clear whether they are connected. Specialists searched the car for an explosive device, according to the Secret Service, while several roads around the park were closed. The Secret Service also ordered reporters in the area to take shelter.
Lockdown and press restrictions
The White House was sealed off for about half an hour, AFP correspondents reported. Journalists on the grounds were told to go inside, and the press room became the shelter point for reporters. President Donald Trump was inside the building at the time, preparing for a series of meetings. National Guard troops, whom Trump has kept in Washington since 2025 to support local police, took part in the response alongside Metropolitan Police officers.
- Car strikes an information board in Lafayette Park
- Second person steps over a barrier near the park's north-western corner and is arrested
- Car still in the park, surrounded by National Guard members
At 10:40 local time (15:40 GMT), the car still had not been removed from the park and remained surrounded by Guard members. The identity of the driver and a motive have not been made public.
Earlier threats against the president
The incident has renewed attention on the protective measures around Trump, who has been the target of several assassination attempts. One of the most recent came in April at the White House Correspondents' dinner, when an armed man got past part of the security perimeter and Trump, Melania Trump and cabinet members at the event were evacuated. Earlier in November, the Secret Service arrested a Venezuelan man near the White House who was in a stolen car carrying several weapons. According to the Department of Homeland Security, he said he had heard voices telling him to go to Washington and kill the president. Authorities have not said whether the car crash on 9 November was accidental or deliberate.