The former stepson of a man accused of sneaking into the White House says the Iraq war veteran owns "plenty of firepower" that he could have brought with him if he meant any harm.
Omar Gonzalez is expected to appear in court Monday to face charges of unlawfully entering a restricted building or grounds while carrying a deadly or dangerous weapon — a knife in this case.
However, Jerry Murphy said Sunday that his former stepfather never goes anywhere without his knife and he's sure Gonzalez didn't intend to hurt anyone.
Gonzalez was arrested Friday after allegedly scaling a White House fence and making it into the building. The first family wasn't in the building at the time.
The Secret Service has come under heavy criticism because of the incident.
© Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.