President Donald Trump said the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night accentuated the need for a White House ballroom, arguing the incident reinforced long-standing security concerns with the high-profile event.
Speaking after the chaos at the Washington Hilton, Trump described the venue as insufficiently secure and contrasted it with his proposed ballroom, which he said would incorporate advanced protections such as bulletproof glass and drone-resistant systems.
"We need the ballroom," Trump said, emphasizing that modern threats demand stronger safeguards for the president and other top officials, The Washington Post reported.
Authorities said a suspect armed with a shotgun forced his way past a Secret Service checkpoint outside the Hilton ballroom before being stopped.
One agent was shot in the chest but was saved by a bullet-resistant vest.
Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and members of the Cabinet were evacuated as a precaution.
The president tied the incident to broader concerns about political violence, noting previous assassination attempts against him.
"Today, we need levels of security probably nobody has seen before," Trump said, arguing that the federal government must adapt to evolving threats.
Critics, including preservation groups, have argued the ballroom would alter the historic White House complex and questioned whether such a large addition is necessary.
But supporters say Saturday night's events highlight the risks of relying on outside venues that are open to the public.
Louisiana Republican Gov. Jeff Landry wrote on X that the evacuation demonstrated why the ballroom "should be built."
Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., wrote on X: "We'd better never again hear a peep from anyone complaining about a White House ballroom."
Trump also pointed out that the White House Correspondents' Dinner is not a government function but a private event, raising questions about why it continues to be held in a hotel setting rather than a secure federal facility.
The White House ballroom proposal, a roughly 90,000-square-foot structure funded by private donations, has been entangled in legal battles for months.
A federal appeals court on April 17 allowed Trump to continue building the $400 million ballroom at the White House.
That ruling came a day after a federal judge halted the project's above-ground construction.
Trump has maintained that the project's security features justify moving forward under national security exceptions.
The dinner was canceled and is expected to be rescheduled within 30 days.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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