President Trump says he didn’t let the Secret Service usher him away from the shooting at the White House Correspondents Dinner because he wanted to see what was going on.

Trump recapped Saturday night’s shooting in a sit down interview Sunday with “60 Minutes” … telling Norah O’Donnell he didn’t make it easy on the folks trying to protect him.

POTUS praised his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, for being “strong” and “smart” in her first experience with a shooting … she wasn’t there in Butler, PA a couple years ago when there was an assassination attempt.

In contrast to Trump’s exit, his Vice President, J.D. Vance, got whisked away in a flash. Trump appeared to fall as he walked off the stage but he said it was really just the Secret Service telling him to get down.

Trump said the shooter, who the feds say is Cole Allen, ran past medical detectors in “a blur” before opening fire and being taken down by law enforcement. He joked an NFL team should sign Allen for his speed.

The Prez said the Secret Service did a great job neutralizing the shooter before anyone was seriously injured … and he reaffirmed his plan to reschedule the Correspondents’ Dinner within the next 30 days.