Cocaine at White House Raises Questions About Secret Service

The discovery of a white powder identified as cocaine inside the White House has led some to raise questions about the Secret Service.

The White House complex was temporarily closed as officers from the Secret Service Uniformed Division investigated an "unknown item" found inside a work area on Sunday evening.

The substance was found during a routine sweep of the building, according to The Washington Post, which first reported the discovery.

A preliminary field test indicated that the substance was cocaine, according to a dispatch from the DC fire department.

"The DC Fire Department was called to evaluate and quickly determined the item to be non-hazardous," Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi told Newsweek. "The item was sent for further evaluation and an investigation into the cause and manner of how it entered the White House is pending."

A source familiar with the investigation told Newsweek that the substance was discovered inside "a work area" of the West Wing, which is attached to the executive mansion where President Joe Biden lives. The West Wing houses the Oval Office, the cabinet room and press area, as well as offices and work spaces for staff.

Initial reports had said the substance was found in a reference library. The Associated Press, citing two law enforcement officials, later on Tuesday reported that the white powder was found "in an area accessible to tour groups, not in any particular West Wing office".

The discovery prompted several Twitter accounts with large followings to raise questions about the Secret Service's role in the discovery.

The agency has faced scrutiny since it emerged that Secret Service text messages from around the time of the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol were deleted despite requests from Congress and federal investigators that they be preserved, prompting allegations of a cover-up.

Trust in the Secret Service, which is tasked with protecting the nation's leaders and their families, also appears to have diminished following reports that the agency knew of a threat to Nancy Pelosi days before the January 6 attack, but did not pass it along until after the Capitol was stormed.

Questions about security lapses were also raised after Secret Service agents reportedly missed a pipe bomb that was placed outside the Democratic National Committee headquarters during a sweep prior to then-Vice President-elect Kamala Harris' arrival on January 6.

"Weird how the same Secret Service that missed a pipe bomb that was placed near the DNC while the VP was there, that missed the intruder that infiltrated the NSA's home, that missed the J6 death threats against Pelosi, DID find a tiny bit of cocaine in the White House. Just sayin," Lindy Li wrote in a tweet that was viewed more than 138,000 times.

Don Lewis wrote in another tweet with more than 100,000 views: "Biden rental cars burst into flames. Then Biden trips over an oddly placed sand bag. Next a glasine baggie of cocaine found in the White House. Secret service involved in all. Secret service implicated with Trump on J6. Interesting, isn't it?"

There is nothing to suggest that Secret Service agents knew about the substance before it was discovered on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Jim Stewartson wrote: "Secret Service is trending because they found some cocaine in an area accessible to tourists. It should be trending because a bunch of Secret Service agents helped Donald Trump try to overthrow the government and then deleted all their text messages to cover it up."

Asked for comment about the posts, Guglielmi told Newsweek: "Social media posts have no bearing on our investigation."

The president was not in the White House on Sunday. He and his family departed on Friday to spend the weekend at Camp David. They returned on Tuesday morning.