It has always been the case, but after the tragic event of Saturday night, there is no doubt that construction of the East Wing Ballroom at the White House is needed, not only to accommodate a large number of guests, but for security, as essentially stated by the President of the United States in his impromptu press conference held thereafter at the White House.
It was a little over 45 years ago, in March 1981, that another attempted assassination took place at the Washington Hilton. History sadly tried to repeat itself on Saturday. In an incident that reeks of the film In The Line of Fire, a shooter attempted to assassinate — we assume — those at the highest levels of the U.S. government in the ballroom of the Washington Hilton. There are even rumors that the suspect stayed at the Washington Hilton, gaining him easier access to the event than a regular outsider would have had.
In that ballroom was the President of the United States, the First Lady, the Vice President, the Speaker of the House, the Secretary of War, the Acting Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of the FBI, the White House Press Secretary who was an eight-and-a-half-month pregnant, the Secretary of Health and Human Services who lived through his father’s assassination in 1968, Erika Kirk whose husband Charlie was publicly assassinated a little over seven months ago, and so many others.
There were politicians in attendance and there were the press. There were spouses of each of them. There were the most famous, and those who literally serve them, including the brave security personnel. There were conservatives, populists, moderates, liberals and leftists — each of them known to God. And there was at least one person who tried to get in that did not belong, who chose to use violence instead of ideas, and went against the very foundation of America.
We live in a critical period in history. This generation of Americans has been granted not only the responsibility but the incredible opportunity that is before us, at home and around the world. Knowing there are those who would seek to thwart that effort, no matter the cost to the people they try to harm, it is important for security reasons to build the White House Ballroom.
The Washington Hilton is a much less secure location than the White House. I've been to countless events at the Hilton over the years. I can say that it has an extremely friendly staff and the location is made safer by the brave men and women of the various federal and other agencies that assist when an event happens. However, the White House is a much more secure venue than the Hilton. While security plans are never perfect, the White House Ballroom would allow the best chance for on-site safety. The White House Ballroom is not a vanity project but one that will serve Presidents, officials and the public regardless of which party is in power.
Almost immediately after the assassination attempt, President Trump returned to the White House and gave what was likely his best-ever press conference, comforting a nation and showing that we will go on. We must continue to make the world safer than it would have been without the 47th President, we must continue to see the stars as we return to the Moon, and we must continue to build the White House Ballroom, for our security as well as the distinction of beauty.
*Views expressed in this article are those of the author and not any government agency.