President Donald Trump said he may have slowed down U.S. Secret Service agents, leading Vice President JD Vance to evacuate the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner noticeably faster than him after a shooting outside.
“I wanted to see what was happening,” Trump said in an interview with “60 Minutes” on Sunday.
Politics: WHCD Shooting Suspect To Be Arraigned, Trump To Host King Charles For State Visit: Live Updates
“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,” he added.
Trump remarked on the chaotic ballroom scene moments after CBS reporter Norah O’Donnell noted that it took agents about 20 seconds longer to whisk him offstage than his VP.
“What was happening?” O’Donnell asked.
“Well, what happened is it was a little bit me,” Trump replied.
Video depicts the apparent sounds of gunfire echoing from outside the ballroom as the president and first lady Melania Trump, among others seated at the head table, watched a trick performed by host and mentalist Oz Pearlman.
Seconds later, several agents walked out from the side of the stage before they eventually picked up speed and surrounded the Trumps.
Agents then assisted Trump up from his seat before leading him offstage and behind a curtain.
Vance had been evacuated about 20 seconds earlier after agents grabbed him by his blazer while he was still seated and led him away from the table.
Like this article? Keep independent journalism alive. Support HuffPost.
Trump told O’Donnell that he found himself “surrounded by great people” and argued that he made the agents “act a little bit more slowly.”
“I said, ‘Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Let me see. Wait a minute,’” Trump claimed.
Politics: Trump Adviser Tries — And Fails — To Hype Up Crowd In Awkward Post-Shooting Move
The president added that, as they began to walk out, agents told him to “please go down on the floor.” He and the first lady got to the ground, he said, then got back up shortly after and agents led them to a holding room.
As the administration faces scrutiny over the reported lower level of security at the dinner when compared with other events, White House officials are set to review security protocols this week for major events involving the president in the months ahead.
