Published On 4/26/2026
US President Donald Trump took advantage of the security breach that occurred at the Washington Hilton Hotel to promote the ballroom he is building in the White House, noting that it “will provide a safer location for future events.”
Trump said during his press conference that followed the incident, speaking about the hall that he is promoting, “It is not a safe building in the literal sense, and I did not want to say this, but this is why we must provide all the advantages of what we are planning in the White House.”
“It’s actually a bigger hall, and it’s much safer. It’s drone-proof, and the glass is bulletproof. We need the ballroom. That’s why the Secret Service and the Army are demanding it,” he continued, promoting.
Trump had previously said that the 90,000-square-foot ballroom, which is being built above the former East Wing, contains a number of security features. He stressed that this addition is necessary to host major official events.
“They’ve wanted the dance hall for 150 years for many different reasons, but the situation today is a little different, because we now need levels of security that perhaps no one has ever seen before,” he said.
White House landmarks
About two weeks ago, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals allowed construction work to continue in the new White House Ballroom, in accordance with Trump’s wishes. It also ruled to reconsider the security repercussions of the decision to halt the $400 million project.
On March 31, First Instance Court Judge Richard Leon issued a judicial order to stop work in the hall, which sparked widespread controversy, but he suspended its implementation at that time to make room for an appeal.
The moratorium decision came based on a lawsuit filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation last December, in which it argued that Trump exceeded his authority by demolishing the historic East Wing – which was built in 1902 and expanded in 1942 – without obtaining permission from Congress.
The judge then concluded that the group was likely to succeed in its suit because the president did not have the authority to build without legislative approval.
The project launched by Trump last year aims to replace a 90,000-square-foot ballroom in the East Wing of the White House. The American President described the hall as a distinctive addition to the White House, and a permanent symbol of his presidency.
