After taking care of my sick dad for a week, I woke up with a nasty cold and congestion on Saturday. I had every intention of working, but I just didn't have the stamina. Around 8:30 p.m. or so, I was just getting ready to go see if a hot, steamy bath would help me breathe better, when I checked in behind the scenes here at PJ Media and noted that something had happened at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Of course, we all know now what the something was — a crazed psychopath tried to bust in and assassinate the president and other officials — and while I didn't jump in and write the breaking news, I was glued to my TV and social media and sending my colleagues helpful info.
But it wasn't just the actual news of an active shooter that caught my attention. It was the way the president and many men in his administration responded.
Many have noted that JD Vance was pulled off the stage by the Secret Service before Donald Trump was. I found that curious myself, but if Spanish White House reporter David Alandete, who was at a table right there in front of the president, is to be believed, it wasn't a case of the Secret Service prioritizing the vice president. It was the president taking care of his wife.
You've probably seen the video by now, but there was a long table on stage with a podium in the center, and the vice president was on one side of the podium, while the president, the first lady, and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt were on the other side. The Secret Service grabbed Vance almost immediately, and he didn't question them. The president, according to Alandete, wasn't so quick to leave.
"The Secret Service immediately created a security perimeter to get them out," Alandete wrote on X on Sunday. "Trump, who doesn't let himself get carried away easily, demanded explanations. He wanted to know what was happening, ordered that the first lady's evacuation be prioritized, asked that the journalists be removed, and decided to leave on his own two feet but making sure to get the press secretary out first. He didn't want to duck down. He fell briefly after a shove from the agents and left the room on foot."
I can't confirm that, but I do consider Alandete to be a pretty solid reporter, so I don't think he'd make that up — and it was quite obvious at Trump's press conference later Saturday night that he was very concerned about Melania, who joined him in the briefing room, and her well-being.
But it wasn't just the president. Images and video of White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller prioritizing his pregnant wife, Katie's, safety, went viral on social media. He instinctively shielded her and made sure she was able to leave the room with him.
HEROIC: Footage shows Stephen Miller shielding his pregnant wife during the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner
— Sergeant News Network (@sgtnewsnetwork) April 26, 2026
Stephen Miller is the BEST Husband & Dad pic.twitter.com/nSixDHaz2F
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also immediately made sure his wife, Jennifer, was safe and protected before checking out the situation.
You can tell a lot about a man about how they instinctively respond when it hits the fan.
— Bethany S. Mandel (@bethanyshondark) April 26, 2026
In this photo, Stephen Miller moves on top of his pregnant wife to protect her.
Pete Hegseth stands over his wife, surveying the scene while leaning over, protecting her. pic.twitter.com/kEvHgg56bo
Amid the chaos and fear, our incredible @SecWar Pete Hegseth was on his feet, protecting his wife, eyes searching for the threat.
— Kentucky Girl (@Notwokenow) April 26, 2026
This is the face of a warrior. pic.twitter.com/1TsFin7TRD
Later, I saw video of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. escorting his wife, Cheryl Hines, away from the ballroom, as well as Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin holding on tightly to his wife, Christie, as they fled. Even Secretary of State Marco Rubio gave his wife, Jeanette, his tux jacket when they were back at the White House, apparently waiting to go inside (it was a cool night in D.C. and her dress was pretty low-cut, so I assume she was freezing).
#BREAKING:🇺🇸 Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his wife are waiting at one of the West Wing entrances to be let in after President Trump's return to the White House. https://t.co/6vZNHnaRyM pic.twitter.com/U95f8Xzb3f
— Global War Report. (@GlobeWarReport) April 26, 2026
Second Lady Usha Vance — who is also pregnant and due in July — was not in attendance, but I have no doubt that if she had been, JD would have prioritized her safety too.
I know some of you might be thinking any man would do this — instinctively protect his wife and loved ones in the most dangerous of situations — but I'm not so sure. Have you seen some of the guys on the other side of the political aisle? And even some on our side... I have a feeling some of them would have ducked under their wives and used them for human shields.
The men of the Trump administration are from all walks of life. Vance grew up in the most humble of circumstances, while RFK came from one of the most prominent families in the United States. They also span generations, from Miller, who is a millennial, to the president himself, who is a Baby Boomer. Rubio is firmly Generation X, and the rest all fall somewhere in between. But despite this, they all have something in common. They all possess an important trait that we've been told is wrong for many decades, when it's actually a key piece of what keeps the world going.
My colleague Jamie Wilson wrote a great article on masculinity last week, and she described exactly what I'm talking about. I'm going to be lazy here and just quote her:
There is something almost magical about healthy masculinity when it is aimed right.
Watch a man in his element: strong, focused, driven by that deep, restless need to strive, to dominate challenges, to do better, to build something that lasts. There is a gravitational power in it. That raw masculine energy has been the primary engine of human civilization. Men’s drive to compete, provide, and protect turned scattered hunter-gatherers into builders of cities, drainers of swamps, senders of rockets into space...
Masculinity, in its essence, is powerful, positive raw material. It is not a defect to be managed or diluted. It is the spark that drives men to excel in their environments, to push limits, to shoulder responsibility, to stand between their family and a hostile world. When I see a man truly excelling — decisive under pressure, competent in crisis, quietly determined to provide and protect — I feel an almost spiritual awe. This is what men were built for. This is what the world needs from them.
I really think this is why the Trump administration has been so successful. They don't shy away from that. It's what make Donald Trump a great leader. The president surrounds himself with masculine men with exactly the spark that "that drives men to excel in their environments, to push limits, to shoulder responsibility, to stand between their family and a hostile world" as Jamie said.
Some leaders would be afraid to do that, fearing it would make them look weaker. Others wouldn't even know how to recognize it to create such a team. Trump embraces it.
We may not always get to see it so out in the open and obvious, but on Saturday night, it was on full display for the world to see.
4/25/26 | 10:15pmEDT pic.twitter.com/4GBWxokOQ2
— Dan Scavino (@Scavino47) April 26, 2026
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