2 weeks ago
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Security around Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate has been stepped up, with the president-elect now protected by Secret Service patrols, gunboats, and – according to video footage – a roving robot dog.
In the days since his electoral victory over Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump has set up his transition operation in Mar-a-Lago, a 100-year-old mansion-turned-country club that served as his headquarters during his four-year exile from Washington. With aides and prospective cabinet members descending on the oceanfront club, security around Mar-a-Lago has been visibly increased.
Checkpoints with bomb-sniffing dogs have been set at the bridge linking Palm Beach to the Florida mainland and along roads approaching the club, The Independent reported on Wednesday.
The Secret Service has set up mobile watchtowers around Mar-a-Lago, while Coast Guard boats now patrol the Atlantic coast to the east and the Lake Worth Lagoon to the west of the estate.
These security measures have been in place since Trump survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania in July. After a second attempt on Trump’s life in September, President Joe Biden ordered that his former political rival be protected “as if he were a sitting president,” and that he be given “all that he needs” to ensure his safety.
However, video footage shot by Reuters showed a new, four-legged addition to Trump’s security detail: A robotic dog apparently equipped with cameras. The quadrupedal robot – which appears to be one of Boston Dynamics’ ‘Spot’ models – was filmed patrolling the perimeter of the club on Thursday.
‘Spot’ is used by law enforcement agencies around the US and abroad. At present, Boston Dynamics forbids customers from fitting the robo-dogs with weapons, even though the project was almost entirely funded by the Pentagon, while a similar canine robot built by the firm – named BigDog – was designed expressly for military purposes.
The heightened security will remain in place as long as Trump is at Mar-a-Lago, and will be lifted only if the president-elect spends more than a few days away from his estate, the Palm Beach Daily News reported on Wednesday. The main road running in front of the club – South Ocean Boulevard – will stay closed, bridges between Palm Beach and the mainland will close unexpectedly if Trump’s motorcade leaves or arrives, and some flight restrictions will apply at nearby Palm Beach International Airport, the newspaper reported.
English (US) · 