US3 min(s) read
Published 09:19 13 May 2026 GMT
In a speech at White House Rose Garden, recalling his recent assassination attempt, Donald Trump mocked his vice president, JD Vance.
Attempting to embarrass his second in command, the president described Secret Service agents hoisting him out of his chair to safety while Trump remained seated.
Thanking the Secret Service for their support on the fateful night of April 25, Trump said, “I thought you did a great job two weeks ago. You know why? Because I’m here.”
Addressing the rest of the audience and trying to make Vance blush, Trump added, “They had great professional people, and they came out, and within seconds, I saw them take JD by the shoulders and lift him up like he was a little boy.”
In the aftermath of the attack at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington DC, a video of Vance being dragged from his chair by the shoulders by a Secret Service agent while Trump remained calmly seated went viral.
Joking about the viral footage, Trump said, "How come they didn’t lift me up so fast?" JD got ripped out of the chair; that was the view of the week.”
Continuing to mock the vice president, Trump asked guests who they preferred, Vance or his potential successor in the 2028 election, Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Casting doubt on Vance retaining his position, Trump said, “Is it gonna be JD? Is it gonna be someone else? I don't know.”
He then bellowed across the room, “Who likes JD Vance?” and “Who likes Marco Rubio?”
Following the audience’s applause for both candidates, Trump responded: “Sounds like a good ticket.”
While the president has explicitly declared his preferred successors are Vance and Rubio, he has not said who he would want to take his job when he departs the White House in 2028.
During his speech, Trump said, “I do believe that’s a dream team, but these are minor details.
“That does not mean you have my endorsement under any circumstance. But you know... I think it sounds like presidential candidate and vice presidential candidate.”
Rubio and Vance previously worked together in the Senate, and both opposed Trump's early bid for the presidency in 2016.
In the face of rumors about their presidential plans, Vance and Rubio have denied any strong interest in running for the top seat in the Oval Office.
However, Rubio claimed in an interview last year that he would back Vance’s presidential bid, saying, “If JD Vance runs for president, he's going to be our nominee, and I'll be one of the first people to support him.”
