An intruder in the White House: Sophie managed to sneak into one of the most secure places in the world

Steph Deschamps / April 20, 2025

A stray cat found its way onto the North Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., under heavy security, causing a stir among journalists, who documented the appearance of Sophie, the gray, green-eyed animal, on social networks. The feline even found herself briefly in the briefing room. It is in this room that journalists usually put their questions to Karoline Leavitt, the spokeswoman for US President Donald Trump.  

On the X platform, a journalist shared news of the unusual visit and explained that Sophie was wearing a collar and possibly an Airtag, a small tracking device that allows objects or pets to be located via a smartphone. In a video, a reporter can be seen holding the animal and joking that it “might have some sort of listening device”.  

Eventually, with the help of White House staff, the owner was found. The area surrounding the White House is one of the most secure in the world. The Secret Service monitors every movement; cameras and access gates protect the area 24 hours a day.  

Recently, however, a toddler managed to get in: the child apparently crossed the fence unnoticed and was soon after returned to his parents by the security forces.