After the Chaos at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Senator Fetterman Calls to ‘Drop the TDS’ and Build a Secure Ballroom
Saturday night turned into chaos at the Washington Hilton during the Annual Dinner of the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA), the first event of this kind attended by President Donald Trump as sitting president.
An armed man with firearms and knives burst in near the security area of the underground ballroom, firing shots that forced hundreds of guests to throw themselves under the tables while the Secret Service quickly evacuated President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and members of the Cabinet.
The incident occurred shortly after the program began, when the mentalist Oz Pearlman was performing a trick at the head table. Secret Service agents, with weapons drawn, surrounded the president in a matter of seconds and removed him from the stage.
Attendees described scenes of panic: broken glass, falling plates, and a sudden silence in the enormous ballroom while authorities neutralized the threat. The suspect, identified later, was detained without serious injuries being reported among the guests.
Trump, who had been escorted to the White House, later held a press conference in the Press Room and praised the swift action of the Secret Service and law enforcement. “It was a night of unity between the press and both sides of the political spectrum,” he noted, and confirmed that the event would be rescheduled within 30 days.
On his Truth Social account, the president also recommended «let the show go on,» although he would be guided by security recommendations.
The chaos has intensified calls to move high-profile events —especially those that bring together the presidential line of succession— to secure grounds at the White House.
For years, Trump has promoted the construction of a ballroom in the presidential residence with an underground bunker, a project valued at around 400 million dollars that faces judicial and political opposition.
The Democratic senator from Pennsylvania John Fetterman, who attended the event with his wife Gisele and was “in the front row,” publicly supported the idea.
In a post on X, Fetterman wrote: “That place wasn’t built to accommodate an event with the line of succession of the U.S. government. After witnessing what happened last night, drop the TDS and build the White House ballroom for events exactly like these.” With “TDS” he refers to “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” a term used by the president’s supporters to criticize what they consider irrational opposition.
Fetterman also expressed gratitude for the swift reaction of law enforcement: “Gisele and I are safe and back home. We are incredibly grateful to law enforcement and their quick reaction tonight.»
This incident revives the debate on presidential security following previous attempts against Trump. Sources from the Secret Service have questioned how the suspect managed to get so close despite the metal detectors.
The Department of Justice indicated that preliminary investigations suggest that Trump was the main target.
We had previously reported in Gateway Hispanic about tensions at high-profile events in Washington and the need to strengthen the protection of the presidential line of succession.
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