Administration

Guaranteed timeout: Toddler breaches White House fence

A toddler on Tuesday squeezed through the fencing in front of the White House and was able to get onto the property before Secret Service scooped him up.

The unidentified child got through the metal fence on the north side of the complex, making his way toward the North Lawn while his parents were on Pennsylvania Avenue.

“The Secret Service Uniformed Division today encountered a curious young visitor along the White House north fence line who briefly entered White House grounds. The White House security systems instantly triggered Secret Service officers and the toddler and parents were quickly reunited,” Secret Service chief of communications Anthony Guglielmi told The Hill.

Onlookers inside the White House property noticed fuss, and some spotted the child being removed by Secret Service.

Access to the White House complex was restricted during the commotion. President Biden was on the property at the time of the pint-sized perimeter breach.


The parents of the child were questioned and sent on their way with the trespassing tot in tow.

The White House fencing is roughly 13 feet tall after recently being nearly doubled in height. The toddler is likely the first person to successfully intrude onto White House property since then.