Trump portrays shooting as proof of his presidency’s power
By Jacob Bogage and Nandita Bose
WASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) – Donald Trump’s tuxedo still looked freshly ironed when he stepped onto the White House podium on Saturday night, just an hour after the latest attempt on his life.
“When you’re influential, they come after you,” the US president told some of the most powerful journalists in Washington.
Many were still wearing their own formal attire from the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, a famous annual event; this evening ended with a man armed with multiple guns barreling past security outside the ballroom.
“When you’re not effective, they leave you alone,” Trump added.
Trump’s comments following an incident that sent most of the 2,600 people in attendance collapsing while the Secret Service whisked away the president and other dignitaries underscored his instinct to craft narratives that portray himself as an indomitable hero — a juggernaut, a survivor — while rarely missing a chance to fill in his priorities.
On this occasion, this included the White House’s controversial new ballroom; He insisted it would be safer than the Washington Hilton, where then-President Ronald Reagan was shot during a 1981 assassination attempt.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche shared on social media Sunday that the Justice Department will ask the judge to dismiss an ongoing lawsuit halting construction of the ballroom. Republican senator Tim Sheehy of Montana and Republican U.S. Representative Randy Fine of Florida wrote that they plan to introduce legislation in the coming days that would give Trump permission to build the facility; This reflected Trump’s own political message.
“We need the ballroom. That’s why the Secret Service is demanding it, that’s why the military is requesting it,” Trump said Saturday night, without providing evidence that the president’s security officials have made such requests.
‘DANGER TO POLITICAL EXISTENCE’
Trump, who has been mired in the lowest approval ratings of his term since the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran, which is unpopular among Americans, has experience with the opportunities presented by such moments.
In July 2024, a gunman armed with a high-powered rifle wounded Trump and bloodied his ear at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. His signature challenge – “Fight! Fight! Fight!” As he raised his fist in victory and agents led him away, it provided iconic images that fueled his campaign to return to the White House for a second term.
A second attempted attack on Trump occurred in September 2024, when a man armed with a rifle perched himself outside a Trump golf course in Florida and then came under fire from officers who arrested the gunman.
“No one can turn danger into a better political asset than this president,” a White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss Trump’s mood, told Reuters.
He said later that he was preparing to harshly criticize reporters during Trump’s speech at dinner Saturday. The president, who has often derided the press as “fake news” and “the enemy of the people,” was ready to confront them in person as he attended a dinner in Washington dubbed a “nerd ball” for the first time as president.
“I was really ready to tear it apart,” he told reporters at a White House briefing.
That plan was thwarted by a California man who, authorities said, traveled across the country by train, checked into the Hilton before dinner, and then tried to rush through security and toward the ballroom, armed with a shotgun, pistol and knives. Authorities opened fire on him before knocking him to the ground. He reportedly circulated a “manifesto” that made clear his desire to attack Trump and other administration officials.
‘I DID A LOT OF WORK’
Trump’s first statements at the White House after the dinner abruptly broke up were conciliatory.
“In light of tonight’s events, I implore all Americans to wholeheartedly recommit and resolve our differences peacefully,” the president said. In the past, he defended and ultimately pardoned the rioters who attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an attempt to overturn Trump’s election loss to Joe Biden.
On Saturday night, Trump soon returned to talking about himself and counting himself among the best US presidents. He compared himself to Abraham Lincoln. Trump told reporters he would be less of a target if he had not imposed significant new taxes on imports and invested so heavily in the military.
“We changed this country, and there are a lot of people who are not happy about it,” Trump said.
He said the White House needed a $400 million ballroom, so he unilaterally ordered the demolition of the East Wing of the executive mansion. Trump said the facility will have a new security shelter, a “drone-proof” roof and bulletproof glass. The venue, which is planned to seat 650 people, would not have enough capacity for an event as large as the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
Trump continued his arguments Sunday morning, saying on social media: “This incident would never have happened in the Military Top Secret Ballroom currently under construction at the White House. … Nothing should be allowed to interfere with the construction of this building.”
He later said he hoped the attack would lead Democrats to drop demands for additional oversight of immigration enforcement and approve new funding for the Department of Homeland Security. He linked the assassination attempt to what he described as successful missions to eliminate the leadership of Venezuela and Iran.
He suggested Saturday’s attack was proof of his administration’s successes.
(Reporting by Jacob Bogage and Nandita Bose. Additional reporting by Steve Holland, Bo Erickson and Trevor Hunnicutt. Editing by Craig Timberg and Deepa Babington)
