Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) is encouraging Democrats to support the construction of a new ballroom at the White House.
Fetterman’s plea came after a gunman tried to assassinate the president and senior administration officials at the White House Correspondents Association dinner Saturday.
Fetterman said venue for the dinner, the Washington Hilton, was not secure enough to host an event with the president, vice president and more than 2,000 present.
“We were there front and center. That venue wasn’t built to accommodate an event with the line of succession for the U.S. government. After witnessing last night, drop the TDS and build the White House ballroom for events exactly like these,” Fetterman posted on X Sunday. TDS referred to Trump Derangement Syndrome.
Fetterman attached an article by Mediate Editor in Chief Joe DePaolo with the headline, “I Was Inside the Washington Hilton Tonight. The Security was Downright Awful.”
DePaolo did not attend the dinner itself, but reported that he could get into the Hilton by showing a photo of an invitation to the Fox News pre-party.
The suspect, Cole Thomas Allen, was apprehended after running past the magnetometers on the Hilton’s terrace level.
He mocked the security at the hotel in a manifesto he shared with family members shortly before attempting to storm the dinner.
Allen got into the Hilton by booking a room and did not have an invitation to the dinner or any of the pre-parties.
“The security at the event is all outside, focused on protestors and current arrivals, because apparently no one thought about what happens if someone checks in the day before,” Allen wrote in his manifesto.
Trump cited the security vulnerabilities of the hotel during a press conference Saturday night.
He said the incident shows why a 1000-person ballroom needs to be built at the White House.
“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. It’s got — it’s drone-proof. It’s bulletproof glass. We need the ballroom,” Trump said after the shooting.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has sued the administration to block the construction of the 90,000-square-foot ballroom. The trust claims it would significantly affect the historical appearance of the White House.
A federal judge issued an injunction halting construction of the ballroom after months of litigation.
Judge Richard J. Leon ruled March 31 that construction had to stop unless Congress authorized the new ballroom by passing legislation.
The Department of Justice on Sunday urged the National Trust for Historic Preservation to drop what it called a “frivolous lawsuit” citing the “extraordinary events” of the attempted assassinations Saturday.
