Local Reporter Had Gun In Trunk At West Point Before Obama’s Speech

President Obama at West Point.
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A local reporter attempting to cover President Obama’s speech at West Point this week was not allowed in when he told security officials he had a hunting gun in the trunk of his car.

West Point spokesman Jim Fox tells TPM that the reporter volunteered the fact that he had the firearm in his car, saying he left it there inadvertently.

He was interviewed by both the Secret Service and West Point’s military police. The Secret Service determined he didn’t pose a threat to the President, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the incident. But the reporter was asked to leave.

The news comes as the Secret Service is facing scrutiny over its role in letting two uninvited guests into the White House for Obama’s first state dinner. In several incidents earlier this year, protesters carried guns outside venues where the President was speaking.

The official also told TPM that the reporter, a longtime journalist who has covered White House events in the past, had applied for press credentials to cover the speech but was denied.

The incident happened around 12:30 p.m., several hours before the President arrived.

Security checks delayed the traveling White House press corps by more than an hour. But Fox denied that this incident added to the normal security delays that happen at such events.

“This matter had no effect on the lines, or any delays,” Fox said.

The White House directed all questions to the Secret Service.

Additional reporting by Christina Bellantoni

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