Good evening, I’m still reporting on the coup.
Right at the start of the President’s evening news conference at 6 pm eastern, President Trump was suddenly interrupted by a member of the Secret Service who quickly ushered him out of the Press briefing room and into a more protected area of the White House complex – the Oval Office.
[insert]
Apparently someone – perhaps an assassin, attempted to enter the White House grounds through the north-east gate – a gate typically used by the press.
The latest report is that one uniformed Secret Service agent and an unidentified man have been rushed to the hospital.
First reports were that the shooting had taken place outside the northwest gate, where all of the press enter. The press briefing room is the closest part of the White House complex to that gate.
However later reporting said it was at the southeast gate the one just below the Treasury Building was the spot where the attempted intrusion occurred.
You can see from this aerial shot of the White House grounds, the red arrow points to the press briefing room. It’s a long, narrow space I have been in many times. It’s about 30 feet wide by 100 feet long.
At the time of the attack, the President would have been in the west end of the briefing room, just steps from the Oval Office, where the Secret Service took him for safety.
This Green arrow is the North Gate, where reporters enter the White House complex. For several years I had credentials to go thru this gate on a few hours notice. All I would do is to call the press office in the morning and tell them I was coming in that day.
This yellow area is the South East Gate. Just above it and to the right a little is the Treasury building where Steve Munechin’s office would be in his role as Secretary of the Treasury.
If you followed this yellow arrow backwards towards the southeast, the U.S. Capitol is about one mile down Pennsylvania Ave. – a straight shot visible all along Pennsylvania Ave.
So if an attacker was shot at the corner of Pennsylvania and 17th street, they would barely have a view of the White House, and so the President was never really in danger.
It never ceases to amaze me that the White House complex is really very small by current security standards.
Fortunately, Pennsylvania Ave. – this road running east-west just above the White House is now closed to vehicular traffic, but not to foot traffic. Yes, the general public can get within 200 feet of the iconic front of the White House.
President Trump returned to the briefing room a few minutes later and explained to the press what had just happened. Notice how unruffled our president is. This shooting literally happened about 200 yards from where he is standing.
[insert]
We will probably not hear much more about this tonight, as the secret service will be swooping in on this man’s residence, gathering evidence.
May God continue to bless this president and keep he and his family safe in the palm of His mighty hand.
I’m still reporting from just outside our nation’s capitol. Good day.