A man armed with a weapon bearing “Joker-style” phrases was arrested near one of President Trump’s golf courses in the LA area, according to authorities.
Sean Steiner, a 36-year-old from Glendale, was located by officers running through traffic in nearby Rancho Palos Verdes. The suspect was found on Palos Verdes Drive South, which runs directly past the Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles.
At the time, Steiner was armed with a semi-automatic short-barreled rifle, among other weapons, according to a statement from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
The rifle was painted purple and green, along with ominous phrases including “why so serious?” and “let’s put a smile on that face,” according to photos released by the department.
The tip of the gun was painted orange, with the LASD noting that it resembled a toy firearm. The weapon was loaded, with a round in the chamber and a full magazine.
During the investigation, deputies recovered the rifle, two loaded handguns, high-capacity magazines and a ballistic vest capable of stopping bullet rounds.
While speaking to deputies during the arrest last week, Steiner allegedly admitted to firing one of the pistols in the area rea in order to “get some anger out.”
Steiner had been seen hiking through nearby trails wearing rifle-rated body armor, a duffel bag, and gloves, the sheriff’s department said. He had also been spotted with a rifle and a step stool.
“Let that sink in,” the LASD statement read. “An armed individual, firing a weapon, walking through traffic and trails… in a populated area.
“Because someone spoke up, deputies were able to safely detain him before anyone was hurt.”
Steiner has been booked on multiple felony firearm charges, according to the LASD.
The Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles had been the site of a peaceful No Kings protest in March, during which demonstrators held signs and chanted anti-Trump slogans.
In an unrelated incident in September 2024, a man was arrested after attempting to assassinate the now-president at the Trump International Golf Club in Florida.
Ryan Wesley Routh was spotted poking an AK-47-style rifle through a sniper’s hide concealed near the golf course’s fence line, according to federal prosecutors.
Robert Fercano, who was a U.S. Secret Service Special Agent at the time, saw the rifle while patrolling just one hole ahead of Trump. When Fercano opened fire, Routh fled the scene.
Routh was eventually arrested and was subsequently found guilty of attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, assault of a federal law enforcement officer, and multiple firearms offenses.
In February 2026, he was sentenced to life in a federal prison, with an additional 84 months added to the sentence, according to prosecutors.
Routh’s assassination attempt unfolded just months after Trump was shot and wounded at a rally near Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024.
