On the afternoon of March 14th, 2025, while speaking with reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, a member of the press (who, as of writing this article, remains unnamed) grazed President Trump in the face with a boom microphone.
While the fact that Donald Trump could be so easily touched by a foreign instrument is cause enough for concern, even more shocking is that there did not appear to be any response from the Secret Service.
It is possible that this entire incident may have been nothing more than a careless accident, but this clear breach nonetheless represents a grave national security threat that must be addressed immediately.
This report will analyze the incident in detail.
Was it an accident?
At this point, we do not know the name of the individual who touched the president with the microphone, let alone if this was merely an innocent mistake. Whether or not this was an accident is perhaps not the most important distinction.
Consider the possibilities.
If it was an accident, the rest of the world, most importantly our international adversaries, or any would-be assassin from any corner of the globe for that matter, have now seen just how easy it is to touch the President with a foreign instrument. Such an instrument could be used as a deadly weapon (more on this in a bit). It is possible that an assassin could seek to exploit this security vulnerability in the future.
If it was not an accident, it could represent a sort of trial run, a preliminary test to see if it is possible to touch the president with a foreign instrument, and if so, what the security response would be. If this is indeed the case (we are not suggesting whether or not it is), and if there was some nefarious intent behind said test, this can be considered a successful trial on all counts.
What are the risks?
Ricin is a highly toxic naturally occurring lectin produced in the seeds of the castor oil plant. According to Reports of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the median lethal dose for ricin inhalation (the lethal dose for 50% of the population) is 3-5 µg/kg (3-5 micrograms of ricin per kilogram of body weight). Fulton County Jail records indicate that Donald Trump weighs 215 pounds (97.5 kg). Therefore, the lethal dose of ricin for a man his size would most likely be between 292.5 and 487.5 micrograms. For reference, a typical grain of table salt weighs around 60 to 100 milligrams, and 292.5 to 487.5 micrograms is about 1/200th to 1/100th of a grain of salt.
It should be self-evident just how dangerous it is to allow a foreign instrument such as a boom microphone to touch the face of the President of the United States. Had the microphone had as much as a pinch of ricin on it, that would have been enough to kill Donald Trump hundreds of times over.
Furthermore, while we specifically mention the possibility of a ricin attack, it is by no means the only poison that could be used in this manner. Similar agents that could be employed by a would-be microphone assassin include Botulinum, Polonium, Sarin, or VX Nerve Agent.
Even More Concerning
Let us now examine the response (or lack thereof) from the Secret Service to this incident.
Accidents happen, as do security lapses. What is important is that those in command quickly assess the possible danger and mitigate any fallout. Not only did Secret Service fail to prevent this incident, but they seemingly failed to grasp the severity of the dangers posed by the security breach.
Given all that we have explained about the potential dangers posed by touching the President with a foreign object, it should be obvious that the first response from Secret Service should have been to pull the President away, and implement any detoxification and medical procedures necessary to stop a potential poisoning. Second, the Secret Service should have sequestered the still unnamed woman and her microphone, and subjected them, respectively, to questions and tests to ensure there was no foul play.
As of now, it does not appear that any of this happened.
The American People Deserve Better
It is hard to imagine such a scene playing out in Russia with Vladmir Putin, or in China with Xi Jinping. And, if it did happen, it is even more difficult to imagine that there would have been no security response, as appears to be the case in the United States with Donald Trump.
Why does the Secret Service continue to show gaping holes in protocol? As if Butler Pennsylvania wasn’t enough, let's not forget about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump on September 15th, 2024, when a would-be assassin was able to walk onto Donald Trump’s golf course with a rifle and approach firing range.
At this point, what’s done is done. What we demand to know is this: was the microphone confiscated and tested for any deadly compounds or elements, and was the woman responsible for this incident held for questioning?
If not, We the People demand to know who in command allowed the microphone and its holder to leave the scene untested and unquestioned, and request their immediate removal.
An assassin with a ricin tipped microphone (an amount of only a few specs of dust would suffice) could kill the president in this manner.
— Muckraker.com (@realmuckraker) March 15, 2025
This is a security failure.
How many attempts on Donald Trump's life must be made before Secret Service tightens up?pic.twitter.com/HlLjzPD2TL
The public demands answers from @SecretService on the following:
— Muckraker.com (@realmuckraker) March 15, 2025
1. Why didn't Secret Service immediately step in and take Donald Trump away for screening to ensure he had not been poisoned? (A speck of ricin 1/100th the size of a grain of salt is enough to kill a man, and even… https://t.co/Ju5hSN5jor
@SecretService, was the microphone confiscated and tested for any deadly compounds or elements?
— Anthony Rubin (@anthonyjrubin) March 15, 2025
If not, We the People demand to know who in command allowed the microphone to leave the scene untested and request their immediate removal. https://t.co/bw7sUKLa9S
