President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters following the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on April 25, 2026, used the incident to argue that his administration’s planned White House ballroom is necessary for security purposes. The comments came shortly after Trump and other attendees were evacuated from the event after a man opened fire on Secret Service personnel, prompting a rapid security response and widespread evacuation of officials and guests.
Trump said the conditions surrounding the event highlighted what he described as vulnerabilities in the current venue, linking those concerns directly to his administration’s proposal for a new ballroom at the White House. He stated that enhanced security features were now essential in light of recent threats and past incidents involving political violence.
“And we looked at all of the conditions that took place tonight. And I will say, you know, it’s not a particularly secure building. And I didn’t want to say this, but this is why we have to have all of the attributes of what we’re planning at the White House. It’s actually a larger room and it’s a much more secure. It’s drone proof. It’s bulletproof glass. We need the ballroom. That’s why Secret Service, that’s why the military are demanding it. They’ve wanted the ballroom for 150 years for lots of different reasons. But today’s a little bit different because today we need levels of security that probably nobody’s ever seen before,” Trump said.
The president used the shooting as part of a broader argument that major White House events require upgraded protective infrastructure. He emphasized that the planned ballroom would address security concerns he believes are increasingly relevant given recent threats, including multiple assassination attempts against him during and after his previous campaigns.
The White House Correspondents’ Association dinner was evacuated after an armed man opened fire on a Secret Service agent outside the venue. Officials later confirmed the suspect was arrested and described by Trump as a “sick person.” The event, which included members of Congress, administration officials, and journalists, was halted and later postponed following the incident, with Trump stating it would be rescheduled within 30 days.