# Trump uses shooting to push case for White House ballroom  
**Published:** 2026-05-26T20:06:37.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/26/repub/trump-administration-seizes-on-shooting-to-make-case-again-for-white-house-ballroom/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/trump-uses-shooting-to-push-case-for-white-house-ballroom

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche argued in a court filing that [a shooting Saturday near the White House further proves the need for an enhanced East Wing ballroom](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/26/repub/trump-administration-seizes-on-shooting-to-make-case-again-for-white-house-ballroom/) with advanced security features including bulletproof glass and drone-resistant construction.

The incident occurred when 21-year-old Nasire Best approached a Secret Service checkpoint at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, pulled a weapon from his bag, and opened fire on officers. Agents returned fire, killing Best. One bystander was injured in the exchange. President Trump, who was inside the White House at the time, remained unharmed.

Blanche, Trump's former personal defense lawyer, filed the supplemental brief Sunday opposing a federal court order that temporarily halted above-ground construction on the ballroom. He wrote that the shooting represents "the second attack on the President this month" and underscores the need for a "heavily secured facility" to ensure Trump can perform his constitutional duties safely.

The incident marks the third occurrence of gunfire near the president in recent weeks. On April 25, Cole Tomas Allen opened fire at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, breaching a security checkpoint. Allen has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate the president. Days later, another shooting occurred near the Washington Monument.

Trump administration officials have seized on the incidents to reinvigorate support for the [90,000-square-foot ballroom project](https://www.thehotelwashington.com/washington-dc-travel-guide/white-house-ballroom-project-design-cost-timeline), which calls for a 22,000-square-foot event space with capacity for up to 999 guests. The project is being financed through private donations.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed suit in December challenging the project, arguing that Trump failed to follow federal guidelines requiring public review and congressional approval. The preservation group rejected a Justice Department demand in late April to drop the lawsuit following the Correspondents' Dinner shooting, saying the legal issues remain unchanged.

Blanche called the lawsuit "meritless" and criticized its revelation of classified security features. The Trump administration contends the ballroom will include bomb shelters, medical facilities, and top-secret military installations.

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/26/repub/trump-administration-seizes-on-shooting-to-make-case-again-for-white-house-ballroom/)
- [Details on White House ballroom project design and funding](https://www.thehotelwashington.com/washington-dc-travel-guide/white-house-ballroom-project-design-cost-timeline)
- [Washington Post reporting on the May 23 shooting near the White House](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/05/23/gunshots-fired-near-white-house-fbi-director-says/)
- [NBC News coverage of preservation group's rejection of lawsuit dismissal](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/national-trust-historic-preservation-white-house-ballroom-lawsuit-doj-rcna342338)

---

This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/26/repub/trump-administration-seizes-on-shooting-to-make-case-again-for-white-house-ballroom/.