The US Secret Service on Tuesday locked down the North Lawn of the White House, prompting an abrupt halt to press activities and heightened security across the area after an unidentified object was reportedly thrown over the fence.

USSS shuts down the White House North Lawn aka “Pebble Beach” to all media without explanation #whitehouse pic.twitter.com/Uv1dXkjkWf— Kimberly Halkett (@KimberlyHalkett) July 15, 2025

The incident occurred just before noon as members of the White House press pool waited for Education Secretary Linda McMahon’s appearance, which was scheduled to be interviewed by Fox News. Reporters were escorted indoors, and access to the North Lawn was completely shut off.

While the Secret Service has not released an official account of the object in question, early reports from the ground suggested a tourist may have thrown a personal item possibly a phone over the iconic black fence.

“Somebody threw their phone over the fence,” confirmed Trump campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt in a statement to Al Jazeera. However, the Secret Service has yet to publicly corroborate that claim.

The security measures were lifted by 11:56 am, allowing journalists to return to the North Lawn. By 12:20 pm, reporters had reassembled in the Palm Room ahead of President Donald Trump’s scheduled departure for an event in Pennsylvania. The White House has not yet issued an official statement about the security breach.

This is not the first time swift Secret Service action has locked down the White House. Similar incidents — including a suspicious package in 2019 and a vehicle alert near the perimeter in 2018 — have prompted emergency responses. In March, a Secret Service agent was forced to carry a young boy back to his parents after the child managed to breach the White House perimeter.

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