President Donald Trump condemned the shooting attack at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday, emphasizing the urgent need to renovate security facilities beneath a planned White House ballroom.
Trump was rushed from the event after a suspect, armed with a shotgun, attempted to breach security. The suspect was taken into custody after firing several shots.
Speaking at a press conference following the incident, Trump criticized the security at the Washington Hilton, stating:
"It's not a particularly secure building. 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 planned ballroom for the White House would include a secure bunker beneath what was once the East Wing.
Trump Links Attack to Previous Assassination Attempts
Trump connected the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner to prior attempts on his life, emphasizing the need for heightened security measures:
"Today, we need levels of security probably nobody has seen before."
He cited two prior assassination attempts:
- July 2024: Trump survived an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, while campaigning for his second term. The Secret Service's failures at the site led to widespread reforms.
- Later in 2024: A second attempt occurred at his Florida golf course, though no shots were fired. The suspect was sentenced to life in prison earlier this year.
This was Trump's first attendance at the White House Correspondents' Dinner after skipping the event during his first term.
Media Criticism and Event Cancellation
The Daily Beast reported that Trump intended to use his speech at the dinner to criticize media outlets he believes have been unfair to his administration.
The dinner was canceled following the shooting but is expected to be rescheduled within 30 days, according to a post by Trump on Truth Social on Sunday night.
"In light of this evening's events, I ask all Americans to recommit to resolving our differences peacefully."
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