A 23-year-old Texas man was arrested by Secret Service agents early Tuesday morning after scaling the wall at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort for the second time, telling law enforcement he wanted to “spread the gospel” to Trump and marry his granddaughter Kai.
Anthony Thomas Reyes was detained without incident shortly after midnight when he triggered security alarms after climbing a perimeter fence at the Florida resort, according to the Secret Service and Palm Beach Police Department.
“An adult male was arrested early Tuesday morning by the Palm Beach Police Department for unlawfully entering the Mar-a-Lago Club property in Florida,” the Secret Service told Fox News Digital. “Shortly after midnight, the individual scaled a perimeter fence and triggered alarms. U.S. Secret Service personnel detained him without incident at the scene. Palm Beach Police officers responded to the scene and took the individual into custody, charging him with occupied trespassing.”
This marks the second time Reyes has attempted to unlawfully enter the president’s Florida compound. According to the Palm Beach Daily News, police issued a warning to Reyes for trespassing at Mar-a-Lago on New Year’s Eve when Trump was present at the property. Why he was only given a warning after the first incident remains unclear.
The police report detailing Tuesday’s incident reportedly chronicled how Reyes told officers he wanted to get into Trump’s resort to “spread the gospel” to the president and marry his granddaughter, Kai, who recently turned 18 in May.
President Trump was in Washington D.C. at the time of the latest security breach. It’s unclear whether Kai Trump was on the property during either incident.
Reyes was initially arrested on trespassing charges and given a $1,000 bond, but his bond was subsequently raised to $50,000. He pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor trespassing charge and remains at the Palm Beach County Jail. Federal charges could likely follow.
The incident highlights ongoing security concerns at Mar-a-Lago, which has experienced numerous breaches since the July 13 assassination attempt on President Trump. According to the Palm Beach Daily News, approximately nine people have been arrested trying to get onto the property since the Secret Service established an enhanced security zone around Mar-a-Lago following the attempt on Trump’s life.
Among those arrested was a 39-year-old Chinese national who was detained just weeks after the July 13 assassination attempt, showing the range of security threats the resort faces.
Kai Trump, the daughter of Donald Trump Jr., has become a prominent figure in the Trump family’s public presence. She delivered a well-received speech at the Republican National Convention last summer, where she spoke about her relationship with her grandfather.
“He calls me during the middle of the school day to ask how my golf game is going, and tells me all about his, but then I have to remind him that I’m in school and I’ll have to call him back later,” Kai said during her RNC speech.
“When we play golf together, if I’m not on his team, he’ll try to get inside of my head,” she added before delivering a line that brought down the house: “But I have to remind him I’m a Trump, too.”
In January, Kai posted a video on social media expressing excitement about attending her grandfather’s inauguration. “I think these next four years (are) going to be the best four years America has ever had in a very long time,” she said. “I’m so happy for him.”