WH Press Sec stresses need for White House Ballroom
In a Monday briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt utilized the podium to call for the construction of President Trump’s proposed ballroom project, noting it was critical for national security
by Summer Lane | April 27, 2026
After a shocking security breach at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday evening, resulting in the attempted assassination of President Trump and, potentially, many senior cabinet members, the Trump administration is utilizing the gravity of the moment to call for the construction of a new White House Ballroom.
“…The president is absolutely right,” Leavitt said, when asked about potentially hosting the WHCD at a later date at the White House. “It’s absolutely why the White House Ballroom project is not just a fun project for President Trump, like you will read in the media. It is actually critical for our national security, that a larger secure building on this complex, which is the most secure complex in the world, is built to accommodate not only large amounts of guests but also the president, the vice president, members of the cabinet – the line of succession in this country should be able to gather freely and [safely] without the fears of threats or political violence.”
President Trump’s ballroom project has been held up in the courts, but on Sunday, he made an impassioned argument for building the venue.
“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,” the president argued in a Truth Social post. 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!”
The president’s demand has been heavily echoed since. “We were there front and center,” wrote Democrat Sen. John Fetterman (Penn.). “That venue wasn’t built to accommodate an event with the line of succession for the U.S. government. After witnessing last night, drop the TDS and build the White House ballroom for events exactly like these.”
Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for TPUSA who was present at the WHCD on Saturday, said on X, “This is why President Trump needs to build the WH ballroom.”
“I don’t want to hear another word from the FAKE NEWS claiming that President Trump doesn’t need a White House Ballroom AGAIN,” argued Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla).
Saturday night’s assassination attempt was carried out by an alleged lone gunman identified as Cole Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, according to The New York Times. An alleged manifesto from the shooter was released later in the media, bizarrely appearing to be written as he was entering the site of the event or shortly after:
“I walk in with multiple weapons and not a single person there considers the possibility that I could be a threat. The security at the event is all outside, focused on protestors and current arrivals, because apparently no one thought about what happens if someone checks in the day before.”
