In a recent episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience," JD Vance, the vice-presidential candidate, shared his immediate reaction to the first assassination attempt on former President Trump.
Vance, who was a guest on the popular podcast, recounted his fear and protective instincts that kicked in following the incident that took place at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13.
According to Fox News, Vance disclosed that Trump had considered announcing him as his vice-presidential pick at the rally. "He basically said, 'Well, I think I'm probably going to pick you, but I don't know, and I'm not ready to make a decision.' And then he looks at one of his staff members who's in the room, he's like, 'Actually, wouldn't it really set the world ablaze if we just made the decision today, and so why don't you come up with me and we'll just do the announcement in Butler, Pennsylvania?'" Vance, the Ohio senator, recalled.
However, Trump had a change of heart, deciding that he hadn't completely settled on Vance and that the announcement required more preparation. Vance returned home to Ohio, only to learn of the assassination attempt on Trump. "I go back home to Ohio, he gets shot, you know, the initial reaction was, I actually thought they had killed him, because when you first see the video, he grabs his ear, and then he goes down, and I'm like, Oh my God, they just killed him, and I was so pissed," Vance shared.
His protective instincts kicked in, and he immediately took measures to safeguard his family. "But then I go into like fight-or-flight mode. With my kids, I'm like, you know, Alright kids - We're at a mini-golf place in Cincinnati, Ohio. I grab my kids up, throw them in the car, go home, and load all my guns, and basically stand like a sentry at our front door and that was my- that was sort of my action to it," he said.
Two days later, Vance was officially announced as Trump's vice-presidential pick. During the podcast, Vance and Rogan discussed the attempted assassination, agreeing that it was a peculiar case. Vance expressed his disbelief at how the shooter managed to get so close to the former President. "An AR-15 from 140 yards away is a potshot," Vance said, later adding, "It is shocking that [Trump's] alive."
"I'm a person of faith, but I think it's a genuine miracle that that guy didn't kill him," Vance continued. "But how did he get so close? There's a lot of really big questions that we should be asking."
Vance also expressed his concerns about the lack of response from local law enforcement despite warnings from the crowd about a person on the roof. "Nobody responded to it, and it's- the whole thing is very fishy to me," Vance said. "And I hope that we win and then get to the bottom of it, because I think somebody clearly screwed up."
The podcast host echoed Vance's sentiments, expressing skepticism about the Secret Service's excuse for not having snipers on the roof due to its slope. "That's ridiculous, that's ridiculous," Vance agreed, highlighting the need for a thorough investigation into the incident.
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