‘But how did he get so close?’ Vance raises questions about Trump shooting

In a recent conversation with Joe Rogan, JD Vance, the Republican vice-presidential candidate, expressed his outrage and confusion regarding the shooting incident that occurred during Donald Trump’s campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania. Vance recounted his immediate reaction upon seeing footage of the shooting, fearing for the life of the former President.
“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,” Vance said. He described how, in the aftermath, he entered “fight or flight” mode, prioritizing the safety of his children as they were at a mini golf venue in Cincinnati at the time. Vance recounted rushing home, arming himself, and standing guard at his front door, illustrating the effect the incident had on him.
Vance expressed his astonishment at Trump’s survival after being shot, describing it as a “genuine miracle” that he is still alive. He raised critical questions about how the shooter was able to get so close to the target and what kind of security measures were in place during the event.
“It is shocking that he’s alive. Yeah. It really is. I mean, I’m a person of faith, but I think it’s a genuine miracle that that guy didn’t kill him. But how did he get so close? There’s a lot of really big questions that we should be asking,” stated Vance.
In their discussion, Rogan pointed out that the shooter had been seen walking around the area with a rangefinder prior to the incident, leading to a chaotic scene where bystanders were reportedly yelling warnings to police about a man with a gun. “People were yelling and saying, this guy’s got a gun. He’s on the roof Go and get him. And nobody responded to it. And the whole thing is very fishy to me. And I hope that we win and then get to the bottom of it,” Vance noted, expressing skepticism about the response from law enforcement.
The conversation delved into the details of the shooting, with Vance and Rogan discussing the technical aspects of firearms and the improbability of grazing a target from a distance of 120 yards. “For anybody who thinks that was staged, you don’t understand shooting. There’s no way you can graze someone’s ear from 120 yards,” Vance emphasized, dismissing theories that suggested a setup.
Vance raised concerns about the lack of transparency following the incident. He highlighted that the shooter was cremated within ten days and questioned the absence of a press conference or a toxicology report, pointing out that similar cases involving school shooters usually result in rapid releases of information, including manifestos.
Vance stated, “And then instantly that guy’s dead. And then they take a hold of his body. He’s cremated 10 days later. There’s no press conference. There’s no toxicology report. No one talks about it on the news.”
“We know nothing about the motive here, which I think is the craziest thing,” Vance further said, speculating that the shooter’s hatred for Donald Trump might be a primary motive but asserting that deeper inquiries into the shooter’s background and intentions were warranted.