List of White House security breaches


Extensive measures are used to protect the White House as the official residence and office space of the President of the United States, and grounds. Security is primarily provided by the United States Secret Service. Since the September 11 attacks, the restricted airspace above the White House has been expanded and better enforced. Despite security measures such as a fence, there have been some people who have managed to gain unauthorized access to the White House.
The majority of White House intruders have been "pranksters or harmless people with mental illnesses".

History

Various barriers have existed since the time of Thomas Jefferson, who had a wooden barrier constructed in the early 19th century. An iron fence was constructed in 1819, and portions of this early barrier still exist. However, during the 19th century, the White House allowed greater public access than was common in comparable European institutions. Lobbyists for example could wait in the hallways of the building to petition the president. As late as the 1880s, Grover Cleveland maintained this open-door policy- and the grounds themselves were open until the Coolidge presidency in the 1920s.
After the Second World War, public access to the White House grounds became increasingly restricted. During the mid-1990s, the fence was expanded by one block to move traffic farther from the White House to prevent damage from any car bomb. Temporary barriers are also regularly installed during inaugurations. During the George Floyd protests, a new fence was constructed, with concrete barriers to prevent vehicles. The fence is 13ft tall, twice the height of the previous.

Breaches

Into the White House

Note that the White House maintained a broadly open door policy until the 1880s.
Note that the grounds were usually open to the public until the 1920s.