‘Would Never Have Happened’: Trump Pushes $400m White House Ballroom After Dinner Shooting

Last Updated:April 26, 2026, 19:48 IST

After shots were fired outside the White House Correspondents dinner, Trump renewed calls for a secure White House ballroom, suspect Cole Allen said he targeted Trump officials

Following the scare at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, US President Donald Trump renewed his call a high-security ballroom within the White House complex.

Arguing that a recent shooting incident underscores the urgent need for such a facility, Trump wrote on Truth Social, “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. The ridiculous Ballroom lawsuit, brought by a woman walking her dog, who has absolutely No Standing to bring such a suit, must be dropped, immediately. Nothing should be allowed to interfere with with its construction, which is on budget and substantially ahead of schedule!!!," he added.

CHAOS UNFOLDS AT WHITE HOUSE DINNER

The incident took place at the Washington Hilton, where hundreds of journalists, officials and guests had gathered for the annual dinner. Shots were fired outside the ballroom, prompting panic inside as guests ducked under tables.

Some attendees reported hearing between five and eight shots. Secret Service personnel quickly moved in, evacuating top officials, including Vice President JD Vance and other Cabinet members. Reuters added that a man armed with a shotgun attempted to breach security and fired at an agent, while AFP said the suspect was detained at a screening area just outside the venue.

Wanted To Target Officials Linked To Trump Administration: Suspect Tells Investigators

The 31-year-old Cole Allen, accused of opening fire at security personnel during the high-profile event in Washington, D.C., told the investigators that he intended to target officials linked to the Trump administration, according to a report by CBS News.

Allen admitted his motive during questioning by law enforcement. However, officials clarified that he did not specifically name US President Donald Trump as his target, according to the sources cited by the outlet.

News world ‘Would Never Have Happened’: Trump Pushes $400m White House Ballroom After Dinner Shooting

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