Washington, United States. US President Donald Trump said a shooting tied to the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner reinforced the need for a fully secured reception space within the White House complex.
Trump’s comments on Truth Social
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said “what happened last night is exactly why” presidents and security agencies have long called for “a large, secure, and fully protected reception space” to be built on site.
He said the ballroom currently under construction would include “every possible feature of the highest level of security” and, being within the White House perimeter, would prevent access by “unscreened persons”.
Trump said, “This particular incident would never have happened” in such a facility. He called for any legal challenges to the project to be withdrawn and said construction remains “on budget and significantly ahead of schedule”.
Shooting at Washington Hilton
The comments followed a shooting at the Washington Hilton, where authorities said a suspect armed with firearms and knives opened fire at a security checkpoint, wounding a Secret Service agent before being subdued.
Authorities said the suspect’s weapons had been legally purchased in 2023 and 2025 and had not previously raised concern. They said standard checks of hotel guests against government databases had not identified any risk.
Attorney general cites rapid response
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the suspect “managed to fire a few shots” but was “immediately subdued” and had “barely made it past the outer security perimeter”.
Blanche said the injured agent, who was struck in the chest, was protected by a bulletproof vest and later spoke with Trump.
Blanche rejected suggestions of a security failure, saying “the goal is not to prevent every possible incident, but to ensure a very safe and secure environment”, adding that “the Secret Service did their job last night”.
What measures do you think are most important for securing high-profile public events?