Thousands of fans prepare to descend on Medinah Country Club for the Presidents Cup this week. Among them is President Donald Trump, who will witness the biennial event once again after 2017. But POTUS’s expected arrival is adding another layer of attention to an already crowded weekend, which is security. Roads, travel plans, and movement around the tournament could look different, and so could entry into Medinah. To make things a little less hectic and to ensure Trump’s safety, a Secret Service official has made a plea to the public.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“Now, the Secret Service also tells us and advises fans here, if you see something, say something. Fans are also encouraged to get here early, whichever day President Trump arrives here for his visit, which, again, we don’t know which day that is, but that should be announced a day or two before his visit,” says NBC 5 News reporter Patrick Fazio.
The plea comes in response to a security question Fazio asked. The reporter asked whether there had been multiple assassination attempts on the president, so is it okay for him to be out in the open? To this, Derek Mayer, US Secret Service, SAC Chicago, responded that the Secret Service is working with “the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office, with the PGA Tour, with the Illinois State Police, and surrounding law enforcement to make sure that the president is in a secure bubble at all times.
The NBC 5 News reporter is not wrong to ask this question. A relevant precedent occurred in August 2026, at Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.
A 38-year-old Downey man, Jeanine John Taele, was arrested two days before Donald Trump was scheduled to visit the club. Taele was reportedly monitoring the federal agents conducting a security assessment at the golf club. He wore an earpiece and took photographs of the security planning. Upon further investigation, federal agents found illegal weapons at Taele’s house and a notebook.
In addition, an aircraft breach occurred during the weekend of the LIV Golf New York event. Donald Trump was visiting his Trump National Golf Club Bedminster, which was hosting the event. As a result, the airspace over Bedminster, New Jersey, had temporary restrictions. On August 9, 2026, NORAD intercepted two civilian general-aviation aircraft in the airspace and safely escorted them out of the restricted area.
Both cases show the extent of security planning whenever the POTUS arrives somewhere. Mayer noted that these aircraft and ground freezes are standard protocols.
While all this tight security is essential, it can cause delays, as seen at many sports events Donald Trump has attended.
Delays resulting from Donald Trump’s visits to sporting events
Besides the surrounding traffic and transport, Trump’s arrival has also resulted in delays and temporary pauses at multiple sports events he visited.
A clear example is the 2025 US Open men’s tennis final at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. Trump attended the Carlos Alcaraz–Jannik Sinner final on September 7, 2025. Enhanced Secret Service screening created long lines outside the stadium. Several fans waited for over an hour to enter the venue. As a result, the match, which was intended to start at 2 pm local time, was pushed back by 30 minutes.
Another recent example is that of the Irish Open 2026 at Trump International Links in Doonbeg, Ireland. Donald Trump arrived by helicopter when the third round was in play. Media reports say play paused shortly before 3 pm to accommodate the helicopter’s safe landing. POTUS arrived right on time to watch Rory McIlroy finish his round on the 18th green.
The same occurred at the 2025 Ryder Cup, too. The PGA of America had already asked fans to arrive as early as possible because of the added screening. Fans faced TSA-style screening; those who left the secure zone were screened again before re-entering. Thanks to early warnings from the PGA of America, the event witnessed little to no delay. But it does hint at the tight security guidelines that follow Donald Trump’s attendance of any sport event.
As these examples show, sports fans are no stranger to long queues at events Donald Trump visited. The Secret Service has again warned about similar experiences and urged fans to speak up if they notice something odd. This could help the Secret Service do its job while enabling faster movement at Medinah.