The shocking discovery of a tree stand outside the Palm Beach International Airport, with a clear line of sight to where President Donald Trump steps off Air Force One, was at or near the top of the ABC and NBC Sunday Night Newscasts. This was not the case at CBS, amid some questionable editorial choices.
As much as we hold ABC News accountable, it should be noted that they led World News Tonight with a clean story from White House Correspondent Selina Wang:
ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT
10/19/25
6:02 PM
MARY BRUCE: We begin here with breaking news and a chilling discovery by the Secret Service. A hunting stand with a direct line of sight to where the president steps off Air Force One found in Palm Beach International Airport. Authorities say the discovery was made during a routine sweep before the president’s arrival on Friday. The new details coming in tonight. ABC’s Senior White House correspondent Selina Wang leading us off.
SELINA WANG: Tonight, the FBI is investigating a suspicious hunting stand discovered with a direct line of sight to the very spot where President Trump steps off of Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport. The Secret Service says the item was discovered during a routine security sweep ahead of the president’s arrival on Friday. FBI Director Kash Patel saying tonight, “no individuals were located at the scene, and the agency has since taken the investigatory lead, flying in resources to collect all evidence from the scene, and deploying our cell phone analytics capabilities.” This comes after two assassination attempts against the president last year. Just weeks ago, Ryan Routh was found guilty in one of those attempts. Secret Service agents say they found him hiding in the bushes at Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course armed with an assault rifle.
DONALD TRUMP: Take a look at what happened… (GUNFIRE)
WANG: The president was also shot in the ear during that campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, an attack that left one person dead and several injured. And Mary, the president is returning to The White House from Mar-a-Lago tonight. We have reached out to The White House for comment. Mary.
BRUCE: Selina Wang with the disturbing discovery tonight. Selina, thank you.
ABC’s report was clean and simple, a just-the-facts item that mentions the prior assassination attempts against Trump as a matter of historical context. This was a stand-alone report not part of a broader roundup that called necessary attention to a terrifying security scenario. It’s not often we say that ABC did great, but there you have it.
Even NBC’s item with Yamiche Alcindor was well-done. This report ran longer than ABC’s because it featured a voiceover from President Trump as well as analysis from an unnamed security expert and more context. But as was the case with ABC, this was its own item and not diluted by other stories.
CBS, on the other hand, failed to include the tree stand in their Washington roundup. Instead, the Evening News focused on the war of words between President Trump and Colombia’s Gustavo Petro and on the “No Kings” march. And with regard to “No Kings”, by “focused” I really mean “whined” given reaction to some of Trump’s post-march memeing.
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CBS concluded the roundup and never went back, focusing instead on other items such as sumo wrestling at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Thus the former Tiffany Network found time to whine about memes while omitting news of, at minimum, continued concerns regarding the security of the President of the United States.
Click “expand” to view full transcripts of the aforementioned reports as aired on their respective networks on Sunday, October 19th, 2025:
NBC NIGHTLY NEWS
10/19/25
6:31 PM
HALLIE JACKSON: Good evening. We begin tonight with the new FBI investigation into what’s being described as a suspicious hunting stand with a sight line to Air Force One in South Florida. You see it here in a tree near the Palm Beach airport, not far from where the president’s Mar-a-Lago home, where he spent the weekend. The Secret Service says no one was found near this perch and it’s not clear how long it’s been there or what it’s for. But the discovery underscores the intense security apparatus around President Trump who has faced two assassination attempts in the last couple years. And, tonight new scrutiny and new questions. Our Yamiche Alcindor starts us off.
YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Tonight, the FBI investigating a suspicious elevated stand that had had a direct line of sight to President Trump exiting Air Force One at West Palm Beach International Airport. U.S. Secret Service agents discovered the stand Thursday before the president’s arrival in Florida a day later, according to a spokesperson for the agency. A senior official familiar with the investigation said the stand was about 200 yards away from an area of the airport where Air Force One normally does not park, but that the plane did park there Friday due to construction. Agents spotted the stand while doing a perimeter search ahead of the change. Investigators are looking into several possibilities, including whether it’s an old hunting perch, a stand used by a photographer or a possible threat. Resources familiar with the matter said the stand may have been in place for months, raising questions for experts.
How much of a security concern is it that the stand could have been there for many months?
UNNAMED SECURITY EXPERT: Well, it’s a huge concern. (VIDEO SWIPE) Is it a legitimate hunting stand, is it there for nefarious purposes and who put it there.
ALCINDOR: This comes during a time of heightened anxiety over political violence, including two failed assassination attempts against President Trump last year. The president surviving shots fired at him at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. And just last month, Ryan Routh was found guilty of attempting to assassinate the president after a Secret Service agent spotted Routh hiding the Trump golf club in West Palm Beach. Earlier this year, President Trump reflecting on potential threats.
DONALD TRUMP: It’s a very dangerous job being president.
JACKSON: Yamiche is joining us now from The White House as President Trump is on his way back from Florida. So, Yamiche, what else do we know about what investigators found at the scene in Palm Beach?
ALCINDOR: Three sources familiar with the investigation told NBC News no individuals, weapons or ammo were found at the scene and the law enforcement expert we talked to said authorities would be tracking cell phone data, looking for any footage from cameras to figure out who might be connected to the stand. Hallie.
JACKSON: Yamiche Alcindor at The White House, thank you.
CBS EVENING NEWS
10/19/25
6:06 PM
JERICKA DUNCAN: Tonight President Trump is headed back to Washington, D.C. after spending this weekend at his Florida estate. The president’s return comes as the administration announced U.S. forces had killed three men and destroyed another boat suspected of running drugs in the Caribbean Sea. CBS’ Willie James Inman is in West Palm Beach, Florida, traveling with the president. Willie James, good evening.
WILLIE JAMES INMAN: Jericka, good evening to you. Today the Pentagon released new video of that strike, and the Secretary of Defense says those three men were narco-terrorists. Today the Trump administration released footage of a strike that took place on October 17th. It’s the seventh known U.S. strike alleged drug vessels since last month, which have killed over 30 people. The military actions are causing tensions between the U.S., Venezuela, and now Colombia. Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, accused the U.S. of committing murder in a post on social media, alleging a U.S. strike in September killed a Colombian fisherman. President Trump responded calling Petro an “illegal drug leader,” and says he would cut off U.S. aid to Colombia. The president says the military strikes are necessary to stop the flow of illegal drugs.
DONALD TRUMP: The boats get hit. And you see that fentanyl all over the ocean.
INMAN: Some lawmakers are questioning the legality of the military actions.
MARK KELLY: I do worry about the legal authorities or lack thereof that the United States military has to conduct these kind of strikes.
RAND PAUL: The idea they’re coming here is like- it’s a huge assumption. And really should have to present some proof.
INMAN: Also this weekend…organizers of this week’s protest say 7 million people turned out across the country to rally against President Trump and his policies. Trump wasted no time trolling the protests with posts on social media, including one depicting himself flying a fighter jet and dumping brown sludge on protesters. And today marks day 19 of the government shutdown, and the House is out this week. Both sides show no sign of backing down. But the Senate could take another vote this week. Jericks.
DUNCAN: All right. Willie James Inman, thank you.
