Salena Zito points to perimeter security concerns after incident: ‘That’s where the scrutiny should start’

“They were taking him off. They were protecting him with their bodies … they surrounded him,” she said, adding that the response mirrored what she observed in the latest incident.

She also recounted her personal experience during the Butler shooting, saying she continued reporting until a campaign aide pulled her to the ground and shielded her until the gunfire stopped.

Zito said her previous interview with Trump at the White House shed light on the ongoing tension between security protocols and the president’s preference for public engagement.

“He always seems like someone who wants to be out… almost like a caged lion,” she said, noting that Trump told her the Secret Service often warns that being outside is “very unsafe.”

Despite those risks, Zito said Trump has consistently emphasized projecting strength and continuity, even during dangerous moments.

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“I am not Donald Trump. I am representing the office of the presidency … we go on,” she recalled him saying in a conversation following the Butler rally, referring to his decision to continue public appearances.

“I know it’s going to be hard to keep him from doing things,” Zito said. “And I also know it’s going to be hard to have him put a bulletproof vest on … because it projects weakness.”