Jeanine John Taele, 38, of Downey, California, was arrested on August 2, 2026, at the Trump National Golf Course in Rancho Palos Verdes after being seen photographing and filming security preparations ahead of President Trump’s visit and an August 4 Republican National Committee fundraising dinner [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Deputies found a 16-round magazine loaded with hollow-point ammunition in Taele’s pants pocket during the arrest, along with a loaded pistol with a round chambered and an additional loaded magazine in his vehicle [2, 3, 7, 4, 5, 8, 6].
Law enforcement executed a search warrant on Taele’s home in Downey on August 3, recovering multiple firearms including an illegally modified AR-type rifle, a .45-caliber pistol, body armor, high-capacity magazines, ammunition, two radios, and multiple notebooks containing "concerning statements" [2, 3, 9, 7, 4, 5, 8, 6]. Taele is also under investigation by the El Segundo Police Department in connection with a robbery case [4, 5, 6, 10].
He faces multiple felony charges including carrying a concealed firearm, possession of prohibited hollow-point ammunition, possession of a short-barreled rifle or shotgun, receiving a large-capacity magazine, and second-degree robbery. Taele pleaded not guilty and was ordered to stay away from the golf course and not possess weapons. Bail was initially set at $250,000 [7, 4, 5]. He is currently held without bail as prosecutors consider additional charges [5, 6].
Authorities from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force are investigating the case but so far have not identified any credible threat to the public or to President Trump's visit. The sheriff's department said there is "no credible threat to our communities" related to the arrest [3, 4, 5, 6, 10].
President Trump arrived at the golf course on August 4 for the Republican National Committee fundraising dinner as planned [1, 2, 3, 4, 11, 12]. The Trump National Golf Course is an 18-hole public course overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island [9].
