Gunshots at Dinner, Trump Praises Wife's Calmness, Reaffirms White House Renovation Plan
Following a shooting incident near the White House Correspondents' Dinner, US President Trump praised First Lady Melania's calm demeanor and reiterated his plan to demolish the White House East Wing and build a large banquet hall. The plan had been halted due to lack of congressional approval, but a federal appeals court ruled that construction could continue until June.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 27, 2026 at 09:48
- 🔍 Collected: April 27, 2026 at 10:01 (13 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 28, 2026 at 17:07 (31h 5m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency, Washington 26th, comprehensive foreign reports) US President Donald Trump stated today that First Lady Melania Trump "performed very well" when gunshots were heard near the White House Correspondents' Dinner he attended.
According to reports from CNN and Financial Times, Trump mentioned in an interview with CBS's "60 Minutes" host Norah O'Donnell that Melania was not present during his two previous assassination attempts in Butler, Pennsylvania, and West Palm Beach, Florida, in 2024.
Trump said in the interview: "I've been through this a few times, she hasn't, at least not as serious as this one."
He added that Melania is "very strong and smart. She reacted immediately and knew what was happening," and remained vigilant throughout.
On the other hand, Trump stated that the shooting incident during the dinner highlighted the necessity of demolishing the White House East Wing and replacing it with a massive banquet hall.
Trump posted on his "Truth Social" today, saying: "What happened last night is precisely why our great military, Secret Service, law enforcement, and for various reasons, every president for the past 150 years, have been asking for a large, secure, and protected banquet hall to be built on the White House grounds."
Trump's $400 million White House East Wing renovation plan includes an underground bunker. However, at the end of March this year, a federal judge ordered an immediate halt to ground construction until Congress approved it. Subsequently, in mid-April, a federal appeals court ruled that ground construction could continue until June. (Editor: Tsai Chia-min) 1150427
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(Central News Agency, Washington 26th, comprehensive foreign reports) US President Donald Trump stated today that First Lady Melania Trump "performed very well" when gunshots were heard near the White House Correspondents' Dinner he attended.
According to reports from CNN and Financial Times, Trump mentioned in an interview with CBS's "60 Minutes" host Norah O'Donnell that Melania was not present during his two previous assassination attempts in Butler, Pennsylvania, and West Palm Beach, Florida, in 2024.
Trump said in the interview: "I've been through this a few times, she hasn't, at least not as serious as this one."
He added that Melania is "very strong and smart. She reacted immediately and knew what was happening," and remained vigilant throughout.
On the other hand, Trump stated that the shooting incident during the dinner highlighted the necessity of demolishing the White House East Wing and replacing it with a massive banquet hall.
Trump posted on his "Truth Social" today, saying: "What happened last night is precisely why our great military, Secret Service, law enforcement, and for various reasons, every president for the past 150 years, have been asking for a large, secure, and protected banquet hall to be built on the White House grounds."
Trump's $400 million White House East Wing renovation plan includes an underground bunker. However, at the end of March this year, a federal judge ordered an immediate halt to ground construction until Congress approved it. Subsequently, in mid-April, a federal appeals court ruled that ground construction could continue until June. (Editor: Tsai Chia-min) 1150427
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and audio-visual content on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.