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No Worries for Trump Over Security Breach

By William Vogeler, Esq. on April 22, 2019

Sometimes President Trump is like a duck, or at least water off a duck's back.

We're not talking about the Mueller investigation. Even though he survived it, that probably put gray hairs on his back. It's the Mar-a-Lago security breach. He said it was a fluke, and it looks like he was right.

No Worries

Zhang Yujing was arrested on March 30 after she bypassed security at the president's Florida resort. She allegedly lied to Secret Service agents about attending a "United Nations Friendship Event," which had been cancelled days earlier.

They found she was carrying two Chinese passports, four mobile phones, a laptop, an external hard drive, and a thumb drive. So she was a Chinese tourist.

That's practically how the president reacted when questioned about the incident. "I think that was just a fluke situation, and I think that the person sitting at the front desk did a very good job, to be honest with you," he told reporters.

Of course, that was not exactly whole story. Security has long been a concern at Mar-a-Lago. The "fluke" just brought it into focus. Prosecutors charged Zhang with making false statements to a federal officer and entering a restricted area. They thought the thumbdrive had malware on it that could be used to compromise security even more.

No Malware

Apparently, there was no malware, prosecutors admitted in court last week -- but there was a lot of other stuff. They found a device to detect hidden cameras and thousands of dollars in cash in her hotel room. So she was a well-paid Chinese tourist.

Judge William Matthewman denied bond, saying Zhang had "nefarious intentions." He called her an "extreme and serious flight risk." "Frankly, there is no reason for her to stay in the US if she is released on bond," the magistrate said. "And why would she want to stay?" someone shouted from the media pool. "They arrested her for having too many cell phones!"

Not really. But Zhang did plead not guilty. She may be holding out for a selfie with the president.

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