President Donald Trump took to Truth Social early Sunday to thank the Secret Service for neutralizing a gunman who opened fire near the White House on Saturday evening, and to argue the attack underscores the need for a new White House ballroom—a project that has run into political trouble on Capitol Hill.
“Thank you to our great Secret Service and Law Enforcement for the swift and professional action taken this evening against a gunman near the White House, who had a violent history and possible obsession with our Country’s most cherished structure,” Trump wrote. “The gunman is dead after an exchange of gunfire with Secret Service Agents near the White House gates.”
The incident unfolded around 6 p.m. EDT Saturday near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, according to Anthony Guglielmi, the Secret Service's chief of communications. Guglielmi said the suspect “pulled a weapon from his bag and began firing,” prompting Secret Service officers to return fire. The suspect was hit, taken to a local hospital, and pronounced dead. One bystander was struck by gunfire, but no officers were injured. Trump was inside the White House at the time, and Guglielmi noted that “no protectees or operations were impacted.”
The shooting comes just a month after a separate incident near the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at the Washington Hilton, where Trump was also present. In that case, federal prosecutors earlier this month indicted 31-year-old Cole Allen on charges of attempting to assassinate Trump and related firearms offenses.
Trump quickly linked Saturday’s violence to his push for a new White House ballroom, a project that began in October when crews demolished the East Wing. “It goes to show how important it is, for all future Presidents, to get, what will be, the most safe and secure space of its kind ever built in Washington, D.C.,” Trump said. “The National Security of our Country demands it!”
While the ballroom construction has been funded by private donations so far, Trump has recently pressed Congress for $1 billion in security funding for the project. That request has stalled after Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled earlier this month that the measure requires a 60-vote supermajority to pass, rather than a simple majority—a decision that drew sharp criticism from the president.
Multiple Senate Republicans have also expressed skepticism about the need for such a large expenditure, with some questioning the project’s priority amid other pressing national security concerns. The debate over the ballroom funding has become a flashpoint in broader GOP tensions over spending and presidential priorities, as seen in the growing Republican revolt over Trump’s Iran deal approach and bipartisan anger over the president’s $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund.
Trump’s renewed call for the ballroom also comes as the administration faces scrutiny over security protocols and spending more broadly. Critics have pointed to the fact that the ballroom project, while touted as a security necessity, has been mired in controversy and legislative gridlock. The White House has not released detailed cost estimates or a timeline for completion.
The Secret Service has not commented on whether the ballroom would have altered the outcome of Saturday’s shooting, which occurred outside the White House perimeter. The agency continues to investigate the incident, while Trump’s allies and opponents alike are watching how the ballroom funding debate unfolds in the coming weeks.
