The man who became the internet's favorite meme for calmly eating a salad during the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting has broken his silence. Michael Glantz, a top talent agent at CAA, says he doesn't mind the viral fame—even if it came during a "horrific moment."
Glantz was captured on camera sitting at his table, nonchalantly forking salad greens while the ballroom erupted into lockdown after gunshots rang out. In an exclusive interview, he explained: "I felt completely safe—there was law enforcement everywhere. Plus, not every day you see something like that go down."
His primary concern wasn't the commotion but his client, CNN's Wolf Blitzer, who was knocked over in the panic. And, of course, his salad. "I didn't want it to go to waste," Glantz joked.
While the rest of the room scrambled for cover or pulled out phones, Glantz remained seated, chewing through the pandemonium. He admits the attention is "silly" but takes it in stride: "I don't mind being laughed at."
The video, which went viral across social media, shows Glantz as the oasis of calm in a storm of chaos—a moment of levity in an otherwise terrifying night.