Trump doubles down on White House ballroom project after press gala shooting

Trump said that the shooting at the Washington Hilton hotel showed why a secure event space should be built inside the White House grounds.

In Short

• Building a ballroom in the premises of White House has been Trump's long-sought project
• He doubled down on the need after the shooting occurred in Washington Hilton hotel
• The shooting occurred in the presence of Trump, Melania Trump, and JD Vance

US President Donald Trump once again advocated for the construction of a ballroom on the grounds of the White House after Cole Tomas Allen, a part-time teacher and independent game developer, opened fire at a US Secret Service Agent outside the ballroom of the Washington Hilton Hotel during the annual White House Correspondents’ dinner event, where President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and Vice President JD Vance participated.

Referring to that incident, Trump doubled down on the need to build a ballroom, which has been one of his long-sought projects, in the White House premises.

Taking to Truth Social, the US President wrote, “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. This event would never have happened with the Militarily Top Secret Ballroom currently under construction at the White House. It cannot be built fast enough! While beautiful, it has every highest level security feature there is plus, there are no rooms sitting on top for unsecured people to pour in, and is inside the gates of the most secure building in the world, the White House."

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