JD Vance has revealed exactly what went through his mind as gunshots rang out at Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner.
But his concern was not for his own safety; it was for his wife and children.
Second Lady Usha Vance, who is pregnant with the couple’s fourth child, was at the Vice President’s residence in North West Washington at the time of the shooting.
‘It was tougher for my wife, who was at home with the kids and started hearing things through text messages and social media, than it was for me,’ Vance said in an interview with Fox News.
‘I really didn’t know what was going on,’ he added.
It is the first time the VP has addressed the scary incident.
Around 8:30 pm on Saturday, alleged gunman Cole Tomas Allen, 31, sprinted through a Secret Service checkpoint, prompting agents to open fire. Allen allegedly was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives during the incident, federal prosecutors have said.
New images released on Wednesday show Allen wearing a black dress shirt and black slacks with a Trumpian red tie with several knives, a pair of pliers and a handgun holstered to him.
Vice President JD Vance revealed what went through his mind during the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner shooting on Saturday night
Vance’s first thought after gunfire rang out was about the well-being of his wife, Second Lady Usha Vance, who is pregnant, and the couple’s three children
Accused gunman Cole Thomas Allen took this selfie minutes before rushing through a Secret Service security line. He was equipped with knives, a shotgun and a handgun
The shots from Secret Service missed Allen, though one agent was struck with a bullet and survived thanks to his bulletproof vest. It is unclear if the agent was hit by gunfire from the Secret Service or from Allen.
‘I’m sitting up there on the dais with some journalists and obviously with the President of the United States a few seats to my right, and there’s a lot of commotion, you kind of hear some loud noises,’ Vance recalled. ‘I had no idea what it was.’
‘And before I had any idea what was going on, I started seeing people sort of duck under their tables or respond to what was going on far in the back of the ballroom. And then an agent comes and whispers in my ear, basically says, “Sir, we have to leave.”‘
Video of the incident shows Secret Service agents immediately evacuating Vance from the stage. The same video shows agents jumping to aid President Donald Trump and others.
The Vice President said his initial concern was over the well-being of the Secret Service agent who was shot.
‘The first thing that happened that actually freaked me out a little bit … is that we heard that an agent had been shot, and in the fog of war, I thought, oh my god, this guy’s actually seriously injured, or maybe worse.’
‘And then we found out later, of course, that he was uninjured or not seriously injured.’
Vance commended the quick and effective work of the Secret Service and noted how, despite having a security detail for two years now, he still often forgets that they are primarily around to defend the Vice President and his family.
Vice President JD Vance with his pregnant wife Second Lady Usha Vance on Tuesday
Vance has three children and is expecting another this summer
‘What an amazing job the agents of the Secret Service do. You saw they went right to me. They went right to the President of the United States. They put their lives in harm’s way,’ Vance continued.
‘They’re the people who drive you to the White House, or they’re the people who hang out with your kids when, when your kids are running around outside, and they kind of fade into the background of your life a little bit, and it’s easy to forget that the reason they’re there is for nights like what happened Saturday night.’
The shooting could have been ‘a lot worse, but the law enforcement did a great job,’ the VP added.
