‘Suspicious as Hell’: Trump, MAGA Seize White House Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting to Push Trump’s Stalled Pet Project
President Donald Trump and Republicans are seizing the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner’s shooting to make a case for his East Wing ballroom plan.
Trump’s “State Ballroom” project is caught in a high-stakes legal fight right now, even as construction keeps moving forward for the moment. The plan calls for a massive 90,000-square-foot expansion on the east side of the White House complex, replacing the original East Wing, which was demolished in late 2025.
Saturday’s gala at the Washington Hilton was disrupted after a man reportedly engaged in a shootout with authorities right outside the ballroom. Trump, the vice president, and other officials had to be evacuated from the event space. The president quickly highlighted the incident as a need for his expansion project to hold presidential events.
Although the dinner was not hosted by the president or any other government entity.
“We looked at all of the conditions that took place tonight, and it’s not a particularly secure building,” Trump said. “I didn’t want to say this, but this is why we have to have all of the attributes of what we are planning at the White House. It’s actually a larger room, and a much more secure.”
“This event would never have happened with the Militarily Top Secret Ballroom currently under construction at the White House,” Trump doubled down on Truth Social Sunday morning.
The roof and ceilings are built to withstand drone attacks, the windows are fully bullet-resistant, and even the columns are reinforced with missile-resistant steel. On top of that, the entire space is outfitted with advanced biodefense systems designed to protect against chemical or biological threats, according to Trump.
Trump’s ballroom is designed to hold 999 guests for major events, with the price tag now around $400 million, double what was first announced. Trump says private donors are paying, but reports indicate taxpayer money is tied to the security infrastructure.
Underneath it all is an even bigger story, a planned fortified bunker with medical facilities, shelters, and military components, which Trump has downplayed as just a “shed” above something much larger. The design itself leans over the top, with a huge banquet hall, a glass bridge to the residence, a private theater, and a full two-story colonnade.
Critics say the demolition of the East Wing was rushed with no real public review, and it dwarfs and disrupts the historic look of the White House. At the center of it all is a legal fight over whether the president can just build something like this on the grounds using private money without Congress signing off. A federal appeals court hearing on June 5, 2026, is expected to decide whether the so-called “Big Beautiful Ballroom” actually gets to rise.
Trump received a mountain of backing from his supporters after the shooting.
“I don’t want to hear one more f-cking criticism of Trump’s new ballroom at the White House,” wrote GOP talking head Meghan McCain, on X.
“Unfortunately, … I had to be evacuated from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner alongside the President and the entire cabinet,” Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry wrote on X. “This event is yet another reason that President @realDonaldTrump’s ballroom should be built!”
However, critics are calling out the president and his followers for “their bluff.”
“I’m telling you this whole f—ing thing is suspicious as hell,” wrote one X user. “They received talking points from the whitehouse in advance. It’s obvious Trump orchestrated this hoax just so people would support his stupid ballroom,” another person wrote.