‘It Was a Little Bit Me’: Donald Trump Justifies Why JD Vance Was Rescued First After Gunfire

A formal dinner at the White House Correspondents’ Association quickly turned into a nightmare, on Saturday. What was meant to be a formal black-tie evening quickly turned into chaos, after the suspected shooter, 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, allegedly tried to attack the dinner event, with two armed guns.

Soon, security rushed in and began evacuating top leaders. However, before moving President Donald Trump and the First Lady Melania Trump to safety, the Secret Service agents removed Vice President JD Vance from the room. They physically lifted him from his seat, thus raising eyebrows with their decision.

Following the terrifying incident, President Donald Trump appeared for an interview with CBS News’ Norah O'Donnell on 60 Minutes. Therein, he explained why Vice President JD Vance was evacuated before him, after gunfire disrupted the WHCA dinner.

“You see the security moving quickly, within seconds, grabbing the vice president by his coat, lifting him up, bringing him out,” O'Donnell said. “Then, the counterassault comes in, took 10 seconds for them to flank you, Mr. President, and then 20 seconds to get you out. It looked chaotic. At one point, you were down. What was happening?”

“Well, what happened is, it was a little bit me. 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.” Trump explained.

The President added, “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.’ Then, I started walking with them. I turned, I started walking. And they said, ‘Please go down. Please go down on the floor,’”

Donald Trump tried justifying that JD Vance was removed before him, because he initially hesitated as he tried to understand the situation.

Even though Donald Trump shared his opinion on why JD Vance was evacuated before him, netizens aren't buying his justification. Naturally, the whole WHCA dinner situation sparked debate online, leading people to share mixed reactions on X.

Some defended the security response saying, “Tell me you don't understand basic security protocols without telling me. The Secret Service doesn’t choose favorites in a crisis. JD Vance was moved first because he was closer to an exit while agents stayed to cover Trump in place,”

While others mocked the President saying, “Trump is older, his reflexes are not as sharp and he is clumsy and overweight”. A few netizens joined in the mockery, saying “Maybe he was nodding off and they thought he was already gone.”

In addition, some users even speculated about succession suggesting that Vance was evacuated before Trump because he might be the next President. They wrote, “The fact that they pulled Vance out as a priority, says it all.” Meanwhile, others simply called the incident staged.

“Since when do they evacuate the VP BEFORE the President? When it’s STAGED,” one user wrote.

Another added, "VP smirking while being hauled away first. Convicted Criminal Pedophile Dementia Patient falling all over the floor while SS struggles to drag him behind the curtain. Attendee keeps his head fully upright while continuing to eat his food. Another attendee just wanders. Staged.”

This even sparked conversation about “propaganda” claims where the whole WHCA dinner and the chaotic situation were allegedly staged to divert attention from the global crises and the Iran war. People wrote, “Another propaganda to drag the attention away from his failed war in Iran specifically when Iran refused to sit on the negotiations table.”