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Donald Trump argued that the shooting during Saturday’s White House Correspondents' Dinner highlights why the White House "needs" the ballroom. And those remarks didn't sit well with many people.
Secret Service agents rushed out President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump after a man opened fire. One officer was shot but was protected by a bulletproof vest and taken to hospital.
In a statement addressing the incident, Trump quickly shifted focus to his long-desired ballroom project, which is expected to cost around $400 million.
"I didn’t want to say this, but this is why we have to have all of the attributes of what we’re planning at the White House. It’s actually a larger room, and it’s much more secure," Trump told reporters in the press briefing room.
"It’s drone proof. It’s bulletproof glass. We need the ballroom. That’s why Secret Service, that’s why the military are demanding it," he added.
"They wanted the ballroom for 150 years for lots of different reasons, but today is a little bit different because today we need levels of security that nobody has ever seen before," he continued.
Some people didn’t take to his bizarre pivot very well, slamming his remarks as out of touch and failing to read the room.
"People talking about a ballroom while there’s a shooting is insane," one wrote.
Another simply quipped: "You've got to be kidding me."
A third shared: "He is constantly inappropriate…. Never capable of reading a room."
Meanwhile, one added: "Dude cannot shut up about that damn ballroom."
However, some MAGA supporters backed the supposed "need" for the new space.
The suspect, believed to have been carrying both a shotgun and a handgun, has been identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen from Torrance, California.
He was reportedly staying as a guest at the Washington Hilton, where the event was taking place. He now faces charges, including assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon, with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche indicating that further charges are expected.
Trump later shared images on his Truth Social platform showing the suspect handcuffed on the ground after being detained.
Speaking at a late-night press conference after the incident, Trump said the disrupted event would be rescheduled and suggested the shooting had "unified" political opponents and members of the media.
He had been attending the annual dinner for the first time as president.
In a statement, Antony Guglielmi, Secret Service chief of communications, said: "The U.S. Secret Service, in coordination with the Metropolitan Police Department, is investigating a shooting incident near the main magnetometer screening area at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner,
"The president and the first lady are safe along with all protectees. One individual is in custody. The condition of those involved is not yet known, and law enforcement is actively assessing the situation."
You should also read...
- Trump's pivot from honouring US troops to bragging about ballroom and gold drapes is 'unhinged'
- White House Correspondents Dinner: A journey through its most controversial moments
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