Washington DC - President Joe Biden was not present at the White House when cocaine was found in an area used by visitors on tours, but that didn't stop Donald Trump and other rights-wingers from pouncing on the scandal.

The White House sought to get the highly unusual story under control as details emerged of the drug's discovery Sunday in one of the most carefully guarded buildings in the world.

Initial reports were of a white powder, sparking fears of the kind of episode regularly occurring in official Washington buildings where unidentified powders found during searches or received in the mail are treated as potential chemical attacks.

This prompted a brief evacuation. But an entirely new set of alarms went off when preliminary analysis by technicians from the city's fire department determined the substance was actually cocaine.

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On Wednesday, the US Secret Service, which protects the presidential mansion, announced it "just confirmed that substance found was cocaine and our investigation is ongoing."

This struck a chord amid the controversy surrounding the troubled private life of Joe Biden's Hunter, who had a well-documented battle with severe drug addiction.

The cocaine revelation immediately sparked unsubstantiated speculation in right-wing circles, with Trump himself jumping on the bandwagon Wednesday in a typically rambling, insult-laden post: "Does anybody really believe that the COCAINE found in the West Wing of the White House, very close to the Oval Office, is for the use of anyone other than Hunter & Joe Biden?"

In an attempt to put an end to the gossip, the White House made clear that circumstantial evidence, at least, points to a visitor being responsible, not anyone connected to the Bidens.

Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the narcotic had been found in an area routinely used by outsiders invited by White House staffers on tours of the West Wing, which includes the Oval Office.

Before entering the sensitive areas of the complex, visitors are asked to leave cellphones behind in lockers, which is where the narcotic was reportedly found.

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This was "a heavily traveled area where many White House West Wing... visitors come through," Jean-Pierre said. Such tours took place last Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

"The president, the first lady and their family were not here over the weekend," she added. "They left on Friday and returned just yesterday."

Jean-Pierre deflected further questions, saying "we have confidence that the Secret Service is going to get to the bottom of this."