As President Trump returned to Palm Beach late Friday, four days before Election Day, Mar-a-Lago was already surrounded by military air-defense equipment. NORAD and U.S. Northern Command confirmed that ground-based air defense assets were deployed in and around the estate at the Secret Service's request. Local reporters spotted equipment on a barge in the Intracoastal Waterway and near Donald J. Trump International Airport, and media reports identify the systems as Avenger short-range units armed with Stinger missiles. The Secret Service says it is operating in a heightened threat environment, and it described the military support as counter-drone equipment.

Officials have not said whether a specific threat prompted the move, and they have not said how long the systems will stay in place. The deployment follows repeated airspace violations near the estate, with NORAD reporting that more than 60 aircraft have been intercepted near Mar-a-Lago since Trump returned to office in January 2025. The most recent was an F-16 intercept of a civilian plane that entered restricted airspace on October 24. Some nearby residents have said they feel uneasy about seeing missile equipment so close to their homes. With a presidential visit and a national election days apart, people are asking what exactly triggered the added protection and how much further security around Palm Beach will go.