When President William McKinley was shot, VP Teddy Roosevelt was here on my island giving a speech to the Vermont Fish and Game League. The VP was quickly whisked off the island, under the protection of a posse of heavily armed locals, and rode to Buffalo, where he was sworn in as President by a Justice of the Peace that they scrounged up.
Teddy didn't seem to have a problem with Americans with guns around him. In fact, I think he was quite grateful.