Obama ‘security lapse’: Secret Service addresses alleged LA incident amid scrutiny over Trump assassination attempt

The US Secret Service has responded to the reports of an armed stranger allegedly strolling up to former President Barack Obama's SUV in Los Angeles despite the presence of the federal agency in the vicinity.

Disregarding the allegations levelled by a guard, who remained nameless, as “inaccurate,” a spokesperson for the Secret Service released a statement, which was shared with Newsweek and TMZ.

“The Secret Service cannot provide the details on our means and methods of protection, but we can confirm that at no time were any Secret Service protectees in the vehicle while the individual was walking down the alleyway. These claims are inaccurate,” the rep said in an email on Wednesday. They also added, “The photo in question was upon departure and not during the alleged incident.”

On the contrary, an eyewitness painted a different picture while recounting the purported incident in their interview with TMZ. The person maintained that an armed security guard came inches away from Obama and observed him sitting in the back seat of his SUV while using a laptop. He claims to have panicked at the moment he realised he was armed and at the mercy of the Secret Service. As a result, he instantly walked away from the vehicle.

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Secret Service security lapse allegations: What does the initial report say about the incident?

The security guard said that the former president's vehicle was parked outside the restaurant Mother Wolf in a Hollywood alleyway on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The armed man employed for a bar mitzvah that day claimed to have gone downstairs at some point after someone told him federal agents were posted outside.

After walking out from a staircase, the man seemed to have spotted two Secret Service agents in the alleyway. On the other side, he saw a black SUV with Department of Homeland Security plates. The media outlet also shared a snap, offering a look at the guard's view of the SUV. The eyewitness had no idea Obama was in the vehicle until he got closer to the passenger side.

Once the man walked away from the vehicle, he greeted the agents on the street, who, as he said, were surprised to see him.

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Obama's daughters Malia and Sasha were pictured joining the former president for dinner at the same restaurant. As far as the guard's understanding goes, he labelled the incident as a definite “security lapse” on the part of the Secret Service as “there was no one on the backside of SUV, nor covering the stairwell." He also believed the agents were “ obviously embarrassed by the situation.”

The alleged incident was reported on the heels of two assassination attempts targetting Donald Trump within months. As the agency faces a mountain of criticism, other emerging reports also state that a US Secret Service agent has been accused of sexually harassing a member of Vice President Kamala Harris' official staff during a trip last week.