Trump condemns Correspondents Dinner shooter, says WH ballroom needed
· Axios
President Trump said a shooting attack at the White House Correspondents Dinner Saturday demonstrates a need to renovate security facilities underneath his planned White House ballroom.
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Driving the news: Trump was rushed from the dinner after a suspect armed with a shotgun attempted to breach security and was taken into custody after firing several shots.
- "It's not a particularly secure building," Trump said of the Washington Hilton at a press conference after the shooting. "And I didn't want to say this, but this is why we have to have all the attributes of what we're planning at the White House."
- The ballroom Trump plans for the White House would include a secure bunker under what was once the East Wing.
What he's saying: Trump linked the White House Correspondents Dinner attack to previous attempts on this life.
- "Today, we need levels of security probably nobody has seen before," he said.
- Trump survived an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024 while campaigning for his second term. The Secret Service's various failures to secure the site prompted a wide range of reforms.
- A second assassination attempt happened several months later at his Florida golf course, though no shots were fired during that event. The suspect was given life in prison earlier this year.
This was the first time Trump attended the White House Correspondents' Dinner after skipping the event during his first term.
- The Daily Beast had reported Trump intended to use his speech at the dinner to attack media outlets he believes have been unfair to his administration.
- The dinner was canceled following the incident, but is expected to be rescheduled within the next 30 days, Trump wrote on Truth Social Sunday night.
"In light of this evening's events, I ask all Americans recommit to resolving our differences peacefully," Trump said.