Trump: "If There Had Been a Ballroom, Last Night’s Incident Would Not Have Happened"

by Hwang Yoonju

Published 26 Apr.2026 23:30(KST)

Emphasizing the Legitimacy of Constructing a New Ballroom

U.S. President Donald Trump's Social Networking Service (SNS)

U.S. President Donald Trump referred to the shooting incident that occurred at the White House Correspondents' Dinner venue to emphasize the legitimacy of constructing a White House ballroom.

On April 26 (local time), President Trump stated on his social networking service, Truth Social, "What happened last night is exactly why our great military, the Secret Service, law enforcement agencies, and every President over the past 150 years, each for different reasons, have all demanded a large, safe, and highly secure ballroom on the White House grounds."

He further stressed, "If there had been a ballroom with the highest level of military-grade security currently under construction at the White House, such an incident would never have occurred. There is no such thing as building it too quickly."

The Trump Administration demolished the East Wing of the White House last year and has been constructing a new ballroom using private donations. Recently, a U.S. federal court judge dismissed President Trump’s claim that he has the authority to renovate the White House, including building the ballroom, without Congressional approval, and ordered the suspension of the construction.

Meanwhile, the previous day, a man in his 30s from California, heavily armed, passed through the entrance of the 'Washington Hilton' hotel in Washington D.C., where the White House dinner event was being held, entered an internal security area, and opened fire before being subdued at the scene.