Social media was set ablaze Thursday evening after reports spread of ambulances, vans full of Secret Service members, a helicopter, and emergency vehicles being seen departing President-elect Donald Trump’s Florida Mar-a-Lago estate. It was revealed moments after the reports started to spread that this was just part of Vice President-elect JD Vance’s motorcade, though “Pray for President Trump” had already begun trending on X.
“The press has set up a fake, unofficial ‘pool’ because they want to feel important about themselves. In this case, some idiot at CBS overreacted and set off the fire alarm for no reason thinking they were going to get the scoop of a lifetime. F*cking dummy,” Trump communications director Steven Cheung wrote.
The press has set up a fake, unofficial “pool” because they want to feel important about themselves. In this case, some idiot at CBS overreacted and set off the fire alarm for no reason thinking they were going to get the scoop of a lifetime.
Fucking dummy. https://t.co/iEuYUQ8E58
— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung) November 21, 2024
At around 4:30 pm, reports started spreading on X of the response at Mar-a-Lago. The Independent White House correspondent Andrew Feinberg wrote, “NOW: Per pool, 2 ambulances and several vans that appeared full of Secret Service have left Mar-a-Lago in the last few minutes,” clarifying in a separate tweet that “This is according to a note from the CBS tv pool crew near Palm Beach.”
NOW: Per pool, 2 ambulances and several vans that appeared full of @SecretService have left Mar-a-Lago in the last few minutes.
— Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) November 21, 2024
The protective pool (a CBS TV crew) also reported “about 20-25 cars, two ambulances and a helicopter hovering above” entering MAL a few minutes before the vans and ambulances were spotted leaving.
I have contacted a transition spokesperson for more information.
— Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) November 21, 2024
“The protective pool (a CBS TV crew) also reported ‘about 20-25 cars, two ambulances and a helicopter hovering above’ entering MAL a few minutes before the vans and ambulances were spotted leaving,” he added, noting shortly after that it was a “false alarm.”
CALM DOWN, PEOPLE.
Per a transition source and @SecretService, the ambulances were part of Vice President-elect @JDVance’s motorcade.
False alarm.
Go about your business. https://t.co/SJCiLIHnPj
— Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) November 21, 2024
In a separate thread of tweets responding to a user who asked for Feinberg to “shed some light” on how this false alarm began, Feinberg said that around 4:14 pm a CBS producer, who he did not name, with a view of Mar-a-Lago sent a pool note reading, “Two ambulances and couple of vans full of what looked like secret service officers just drove out of MAL. I captured the motorcade coming into MAL via iPhone. Will feed shortly.” That pool note was sent to a mailing list of reporters covering the Trump transition.
Yes, I can.
At 4:14 pm a CBS producer with a view of MAL sent out this pool note: “Two ambulances and couple of vans full of what looked like secret service officers just drove out of MAL. I captured the motorcade coming into MAL via iPhone. Will feed shortly.” https://t.co/aSHdKKlKQk
— Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) November 21, 2024
At 4:40 pm I got a call from a source who told me the ambulances were with the VPE motorcade. This is standard practice.
I posted that information as soon as I had it.
— Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) November 21, 2024
According to conservative consultant Arthur Schwartz, CBS News’ Allison Novelo “was responsible for peddling disinformation because she’s desperate to make a name for herself.”
“Trumps not even in office and already the hoaxes have begun,” Mike Cernovich responded.
Trumps not even in office and already the hoaxes have begun. https://t.co/CJdzEBipR9
— Cernovich (@Cernovich) November 21, 2024
“Next the lib journos will say Russian ICBMs are hitting Mar-a-Lago You can’t trust these people Stay frosty!” wrote Human Events Daily host Jack Posobiec.
Next the lib journos will say Russian ICBMs are hitting Mar-a-Lago
You can’t trust these people
Stay frosty!
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) November 21, 2024
