The sequence of who the Secret Service whisked away first when shots were fired outside the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner attended by President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance has sparked a strong online reaction.
Newsweek has contacted the Secret Service via email for comment.
The Claim
Video has gone viral of the chaotic aftermath of the incident at the Washington Hilton on Saturday night in which guests dived under tables after shots were heard just after the start of the annual event to honor journalism attended by Trump administration figures.
One X user, Christopher Greene, posted the footage with the message, “SECRET SERVICE AGENTS RUSH JD VANCE OUT OF HARMS WAY BEFORE TRUMP !!!” Other posts questioned whether the Secret Service had prioritized Vance.
The Facts
This year’s event was under scrutiny because it was the first time that Trump had attended the dinner since he became president in a tenure marked by his criticism of journalists.
As well as Trump, others in attendance included Vance, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, high-profile politicians, diplomats and journalists.
The suspect, identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, allegedly had two firearms and knives and breached a Secret Service checkpoint outside the ballroom.
Gunshots could be heard at 8:34 p.m., though they are more muted on the dais where Trump was sitting.
CBS News reported that Secret Service agents ran onto the stage 12 seconds after shots were fired. Video posted on X showed Vance being grabbed by the shoulders by a Secret Service agent and pulled away to the right of the stage.
Meanwhile, an agent blocks Trump with his body, but it takes several seconds for him and the first lady Melania Trump to take cover. “POTUS is escorted offstage 20 seconds after the VP,” CBS reported.
The president briefly stumbled as he is pulled away to the left of the stage, before being assisted by his security detail. Trump was held in a secure presidential suite at the hotel. After organizers initially sought to resume the event, he was returned to the White House on the advice of the Secret Service.
At 8.37 p.m. security details start removing administration officials, among them Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise.
Amid comment on social media about why Vance was whisked away first, others noted how an agent stood in front of Trump to give him full cover while they secured a path for his exit. “Secret Service protocol is pretty straightforward you split up the President and VP immediately so a single attack can’t take both out,” posted one X user.
The Ruling
Video footage and reports show that Vance did get taken away before Trump, although this does not indicate that the vice president was prioritized.
Video showed an agent immediately standing in front of Trump as a path was being cleared for his exit and the Secret Service may be have been separating the president and the vice president. Broadcaster Jasmin Laine posted on X: “Much respect for this gentleman who quite literally runs to stand in front of the president and block him with his body.”
It is too early to say if there were any law enforcement failures, but the fact a suspect with weapons managed to get so close to Cabinet members will raise questions about the protection of American political leaders amid heightened political violence.
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