(VitalNews.org) – Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance revealed a chilling account of the near-assassination of GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump.
During a Joe Rogan podcast interview, Vance discussed the incident, which occurred at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The interview quickly amassed nearly 1 million views within two hours of its release. In it, Vance described how he immediately entered “fight or flight” mode, driven by his background as a former Marine.
He was playing mini-golf with his children in Ohio when he first learned of the shooting attempt. He quickly took the kids home to ensure his family’s safety and then armed himself for any potential threats.
“I actually thought they had killed him because when you first see the video, he grabs his ear and then he goes down,” Vance recalled.
Vance expressed his shock at how the shooter, identified as 20-year-old Matthew Crooks, managed to approach Trump without detection.
“How do you get that close?” he asked. “I’m a pretty good shot. I served in the Marine Corps for four years. An AR-15 from 140 yards away is a pot shot.”
The gravity of the situation is further underscored by the fact that Vance himself narrowly escaped attending the rally.
Trump had initially considered announcing Vance as his vice presidential pick at the very event where the assassination attempt happened.
“Trump looked at one of his staff members and said, ‘Actually, wouldn’t it really set the world ablaze if we just did it today? So why don’t you come up with me and make the announcement in Butler?'” Vance revealed during the podcast.
However, Trump changed his mind, stating, “I’m not going to do it up there. We have to prepare for it better.”
This near-miss serves as a stark reminder of the constant threats faced by conservative leaders.
The event exposed alarming security vulnerabilities that ultimately forced Secret Service Chief Kimberly Cheatle to resign.
Copyright 2024, VitalNews.org
