President Trump said Sunday the attempted attack at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner shows why he has been pushing for a new White House ballroom, arguing the shooting exposed the risks of holding major presidential events off-site.
“What happened last night is exactly the reason that our great Military, Secret Service, Law Enforcement and, for different reasons, every President for the last 150 years, have been DEMANDING that a large, safe, and secure Ballroom be built ON THE GROUNDS OF THE WHITE HOUSE,” Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social.
Mr. Trump was attending his first White House correspondents’ dinner as a sitting president Saturday, when a gunman — identified by law enforcement as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California — rushed a security checkpoint near the ballroom entrance at the Washington Hilton.
The gunman fired at least once before being subdued. A Secret Service officer was hit but protected by a bullet-resistant vest and later was released from a hospital.
Mr. Allen is expected to be arraigned Monday in U.S. District Court on two counts — using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon.
Mr. Trump, who was evacuated along with first lady Melania Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, called Mr. Allen a “would-be assassin” and “lone wolf.”
The president said the shooting validated his push for a $400 million White House ballroom funded with private donations — a project that has drawn controversy and legal challenges.
The 90,000-square-foot structure, rising on the East Wing grounds, has been tied up in court, though construction has been allowed to continue for now.
“This event would never have happened with the Militarily Top Secret Ballroom currently under construction at the White House,” Mr. Trump posted. “It cannot be built fast enough!”
He also renewed his criticism of the lawsuit brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. A federal judge issued an injunction in March after finding the administration had not sought congressional approval.
The woman who established standing in the case, Alison Hoagland — an architectural historian and National Trust board member — argued the project disrupts her walks and her view of the city.
Mr. Trump dismissed her as “a woman walking her dog” with “absolutely No Standing” and demanded the lawsuit be dropped. “Nothing should be allowed to interfere with its construction,” he posted.
A federal appeals court last week allowed the administration to keep building at the former East Wing site, which was demolished last fall. The ruling paused a lower court order blocking above-ground work but allowed construction tied to White House safety and security.
Mr. Trump has described the ballroom as “beautiful” and equipped with “every highest level security feature.” He also touted its pace, saying construction is “on budget and substantially ahead of schedule.”
