Trump condemns Correspondents' Dinner shooter, says WH ballroom needed

Andrew Childers

Todd Blanche, acting US attorney general, from left, President Donald Trump, and Kash Patel, director of the FBI, during a news conference on April 25, 2026. Photographer: Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

President Trump condemned the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner Saturday night, but he said that demonstrates the need to renovate security facilities underneath his planned White House ballroom.

The big picture: Trump was rushed from the dinner after a suspect armed with a shotgun attempted to breach security and was taken into custody after firing several shots.

"It's not a particularly secure building," Trump said of the Washington Hilton at a White House press conference after the shooting. "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."
Trump's plans for the White House ballroom include a secure bunker under what was once the East Wing.

What he's saying: Trump linked the White House Correspondents' Dinner attack to previous attempts on his life.

"Today, we need levels of security probably nobody has seen before," he said.
Trump survived an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024 while campaigning for his second term. The Secret Service's various failures to secure the site prompted a wide range of reforms.
A second assassination attempt happened several months later at his Florida golf course, though no shots were fired during that event. The suspect was given life in prison earlier this year.

When asked about the multiple attempts on his life, Trump said assassins target "the most impactful people."

"I hate to say I'm honored by that, but I've done a lot," he said.

Zoom out: This was the first time Trump attended the White House Correspondents' Dinner after skipping the event during his first term.

The Daily Beast had reported Trump intended to use his speech at the dinner to attack media outlets he believes have been unfair to his administration.
"I fought like hell to stay" after the attack, Trump said. He said he was "all set to rip" the press in his speech.
The dinner was canceled following the incident, but is expected to be rescheduled within the next 30 days, Trump wrote on Truth Social Sunday night.
"I don't know if I can ever be as rough as I was going to be tonight," when the event is rescheduled, Trump said.

"In light of this evening's events, I ask all Americans to recommit to resolving our differences peacefully," Trump said.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional information throughout.

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Trump condemns Correspondents' Dinner shooter, says WH ballroom needed

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