Trump Uses White House Shooting to Promote $400M Ballroom Project Amid Conflict-of-Interest Concerns

President Donald Trump used a shooting incident outside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner to promote his $400 million White House ballroom project, which has been criticized for allowing anonymous donations and potential conflicts of interest.

Speaking at a press conference after being evacuated from the Washington Hilton hotel, Trump said the incident demonstrated the need for heightened security and declared, “we need the ballroom,” adding that “we need levels of security that probably nobody’s ever seen before.”

The shooting occurred on Saturday night when a man armed with multiple weapons, including a shotgun, charged a security checkpoint outside the hotel. The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Cole Allen of Torrance, California, exchanged gunfire with law enforcement, and a U.S. Secret Service officer was struck in his vest. The suspect was taken into custody without being shot.

CBS News White House reporter Jennifer Jacobs noted on social media that the shooting happened on a floor above the ballroom where the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner was held, describing it as being “up some stairs, and several sets of security away.” She added that the Washington Hilton’s public spaces were open for other functions, so only the specific dinner areas were secured by the Secret Service.

Trump, who skipped the dinner during his first term due to his administration’s criticism of press freedoms, said the event would be rescheduled within 30 days. Some White House reporters boycotted the event, citing ongoing attacks on journalists by the administration.

The scene was described as “absolute chaos,” with Secret Service officers rushing through the ballroom to evacuate Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other officials, while attendees ducked under tables in confusion, and panic.

Trump used the opportunity to promote the $400 million White House ballroom project, which has drawn scrutiny for its funding structure. According to Public Citizen, the project has received donations from major corporations, many of which have active government contracts.

Public Citizen reported that two-thirds of the project’s corporate donors—16 out of 24—have entered into government contracts. Lockheed Martin is the largest such donor, having received $191 billion in federal contracts over the last five years. Altogether, the corporate donors benefited from nearly $43 billion in contracts in the past year and $279 billion over the last five years.

The watchdog group also noted that most of the corporate donors—14 out of 24—are facing or have had federal enforcement actions suspended by the Trump administration. These include antitrust actions involving Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, and T-Mobile; labor rights cases involving Amazon, Apple, Caterpillar, Google, Lockheed, and Meta; and SEC matters involving Coinbase and Ripple.

Other donations to the ballroom project remain shrouded in secrecy, as the funding agreement between the National Park Service and the White House executive residence preserves donor anonymity to the maximum extent practicable. The Trust for the National Mall, which is raising funds for the project, receives a 2.5% administrative fee on the first $200 million in donations.

The contract governing the project was kept confidential until Public Citizen sued to have it released in federal court. A federal judge has since ordered a halt to construction until the Trump administration obtains express authorization from Congress, although actions necessary for White House safety and security were exempted.