Ohio Senator JD Vance, recently named as Donald Trump’s vice presidential nominee, has called for a thorough investigation into the attempted assassination of the former president. In an interview with Fox News, Vance stressed the need to uncover the mistakes that allowed the incident to occur.
“We need to understand what happened because clearly mistakes were made,” Vance said. “The Secret Service acted quickly and effectively at the time, but what concerns me is why there was a shooter within 150 yards of the president of the United States in the first place.”
Vance recounted his personal experience during the event, explaining that he was playing mini-golf with his children on July 13 when gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks attempted to assassinate Trump. “My first reaction was to pray for him. The idea of President Trump being assassinated was terrifying, not only because of the personal tragedy but also because of the potential chaos it could have unleashed across the country. Thank God he was unharmed,” Vance said.
Reflecting on security protocols, Vance, a former U.S. Marine, noted: “I don’t know the details, but 150 yards is too short a distance for my comfort when it comes to the president’s security perimeter.”
Following the attempt, Vance took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to share his concerns. “Today is not just an isolated incident,” he wrote. “The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric directly led to the attempted assassination of President Trump.”
Following the incident, Vance expressed his gratitude for being named Trump’s vice presidential nominee. “I am overwhelmed with gratitude,” he posted on X. “What an honor it is to run alongside President Donald J. Trump. He brought peace and prosperity once, and with your help, he will do so again. Onward to victory!”