US4 min(s) read
Published 15:32 27 Apr 2026 GMT
Donald Trump has explained why JD Vance was evacuated first during the attempted assassination at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
On Saturday (April 25), 31-year-old suspected gunman Cole Tomas Allen allegedly rushed a security checkpoint outside the annual dinner armed with two firearms and knives.
He opened fire inside the Washington Hilton ballroom, triggering a frantic security response as top administration officials were shielded and removed.
Videos from inside the ballroom showed security personnel grabbing the Vice President and lifting him out within seconds, while President Trump remained in place longer as agents moved around him.
Speaking to CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell on 60 Minutes, Trump said the delay was largely his own doing.
The 79-year-old revealed that he initially resisted leaving because he wanted to understand what was happening.
"Well, what happened is, it was a little bit me," he said. "I wanted to see what was happening, and I wasn’t making it that easy for them.
"I wanted to see what was going on. And by that time, we started to realize maybe it was a bad problem, a different kind of problem, a bad one," he continued. "And I was surrounded by great people, and I probably made them act a little bit more slowly. I said, 'Wait a minute, wait a minute. Let me see, wait a minute.'"
Trump said once he decided to move, agents ordered him and First Lady Melania Trump to get down.
"Then, I started walking with them. I turned, I started walking. And they said, 'Please go down. Please go down on the floor.'
"So I went down, and the First Lady went down, also. But we were asked to go down by the agents as I was walking," he revealed.
Many online users had questioned why Vance appeared to be prioritized, but footage of the VP's evacuation suggested little time for explanation.
A forensic lipreader later claimed to reveal the tense exchange as agents grabbed him from his seat.
According to Nicola Hickling, a bodyguard shouted: "Run, f***ing run." The 41-year-old reportedly responded in confusion: "What’s happening? I’m going," before being hurried off stage.
Another guest reportedly caught in the panic was Erika Kirk, wife of the late Charlie Kirk, who was seen leaving in tears and allegedly telling a bodyguard: "I just wanna go home."
The president also spoke about how the First Lady reacted when shots rang out. "It’s always shocking when something like this happens," he said.
"The fact that we were sitting next to each other, the First Lady on my right, and I heard a noise," which the couple thought was "either a tray or a bullet".
But Trump said Melania recognized the danger immediately. "Melania was very cognizant," he said, adding it was "a rather traumatic experience for her."
He also confirmed a Secret Service officer was struck during the exchange of gunfire but was protected by body armor.
Authorities say Allen is facing two counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon.
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