President Donald Trump admitted in a recent interview that he may have intentionally slowed down U.S. Secret Service agents during a security incident at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, causing Vice President JD Vance to be evacuated noticeably faster than him after a shooting outside the venue.
Trump's Account of the Incident
In an interview with 60 Minutes that aired on Sunday, Trump stated, "I wanted to see what was happening." He elaborated, "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."
The president made these remarks after CBS reporter Norah O'Donnell pointed out that it took agents about 20 seconds longer to escort him offstage than it did for his vice president. When O'Donnell asked, "What was happening?" Trump responded, "Well, what happened is it was a little bit me."
Sequence of Events at the Dinner
Video footage from the event shows the apparent sounds of gunfire echoing from outside the ballroom as President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, along with others 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.
In contrast, Vice President Vance had been evacuated about 20 seconds earlier. Agents grabbed him by his blazer while he was still seated and led him away from the table.
Trump's Explanation
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." He claimed to have said, "Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Let me see. Wait a minute." The president added that as they began to walk out, agents instructed him to "please go down on the floor." He and the first lady got to the ground, then got back up shortly after, and agents led them to a holding room.
Security Review Underway
As the administration faces scrutiny over the reported lower level of security at the dinner 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.
