Witnesses said Melania Trump was visibly shaken during the evacuation. Photo: Reuters
The Secret Service first evacuated Vance and then Trump, leaving Melania to fend for herself
Footage shows Secret Service members first evacuating Vice President JD Vance and then President Donald Trump after shots rang out at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday night.
When shots rang out in the hall, Secret Service agents immediately triggered protocol to protect top government officials. Many were surprised by the fact that Vice President JD Vance was among the first to be evacuated. After the first sounds of gunshots, the agents surrounded him and directed him to safety, while the overturning of chairs and the screams of frightened guests could be heard in the hall.
Trump fell
Moments later, Secret Service agents ran up to President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, who were hiding under a table. Footage shows Trump falling to safety as he was surrounded and picked up by several agents.
Theories quickly spread online among supporters of the MAGA movement that Vance was evacuated first because Trump wanted to “personally ensure” that his wife was safe before leaving the hall himself.
In the meantime, comments also began to spread on social networks, in which users warn that it looks like Melania was left to her own devices.
The authorities are already identified the suspect shortly after the shooting. It was supposed to be Cole Thomas Allen from California. According to reports, he was a hotel guest, which may have facilitated his access to the venue. Security cameras captured him running through metal detectors armed with firearms and knives.
One of the Secret Service agents was hit in the shootout and survived thanks to a bulletproof vest. Trump later said at a press conference that the suspect used a “very powerful weapon” but was quickly subdued by security forces and tackled to the ground.
They will repeat the event
Although Trump initially wanted the dinner to continue, law enforcement cut it short due to security protocols and evacuated the hotel. The president later wrote on the social network truth social that such an incident could not have happened in the “top secret military ballroom”, which is being built in the White House for 400 million dollars, despite the opposition of a significant part of the public.
The Correspondents’ Association and the White House plan to repeat the event in the next 30 days under tighter security conditions.
