A man carrying a backpack with mace and a letter for President Donald Trump was arrested Friday night after he breached security at the White House complex and was discovered by a Secret Service officer near the south entrance to the executive residence, officials said.
The incident happened just before midnight while the President was at the White House.
The suspect, identified in court records as Jonathan T. Tran, 26, of California, told the agency’s officers that he was there to see the President.
“No, I am a friend of the President. I have an appointment,” Tran said when approached by an officer, according to a report released Saturday by the Washington Metropolitan Police Department.
Asked how he got there, Tran told officers: “I jumped the fence.”
