ESPN commentator and Democrat Stephen A. Smith said on a recent episode of "Straight Shooter" admitted that President Trump may have a point about the need for a White House ballroom, arguing that a facility at the White House would obviously be more secure than "some damn hotel in D.C."
After witnessing the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting, Stephen A. Smith ADMITS President Trump has a point about the ballroom at the White House.
— Overton (@overton_news) April 27, 2026
“The President has a point.”
SMITH: “I don’t think it’s beyond the pale for the President of the United States to point… pic.twitter.com/9N3TZhMn3o
"But I don't think it's beyond the pale for the president of the United States to point out that the White House correspondents' dinner should be at the White House because that is clearly a more secure location than the Washington Hilton Hotel," Smith said. "It's just a fact. So let's just keep it a buck, be real about it, and understand that even when you disagree with a lot of what somebody does in this administration, it doesn't make every syllable coming out of their mouth wrong. Let's be honest about that and understand he kind of has a point because I got news for you, being one of those individuals there."
"I didn't like being a grown a** adult at a White House Correspondents' Dinner with the presidents of networks and beyond all in the same room and watching thousands of people literally forced to duck for cover under tables and chairs, praying that a shooter wasn't in the room, just looking to spray gunfire in our direction," he continued. "That was not a good feeling. Let's just be honest about it and understand that at times, even from people we dislike, or we don't approve of, particularly when it comes to their verbiage, their antagonistic tendencies, their narcissism, their belligerence, and juvenile tendencies. It doesn't mean that everything they say is wrong. A dead clock is right twice a day."
"Remember that and understand that whether we like it or not, whether you want to think it's a conspiracy and it was rigged or not or whatever, the president has a point," Smith added. "Stuff like this should be on the grounds of the White House. It shouldn't be at some damn hotel in D.C. that just anybody could get into."
This comes just days after a gunman attempted to breach a Secret Service checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, allegedly targeting top Trump administration officials, including the president. The shooter never made it inside the event, though a Secret Service agent was struck in his bulletproof vest.
President Trump has since pointed to the incident to argue for building a White House ballroom, saying such a facility would have prevented the situation.
🚨 HOLY CRAP! Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) just WENT OFF on the Democrats trying to block President Trump’s ballroom after the shooting
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 26, 2026
“DROP THE TDS and build the White House ballroom!” 🔥
“The venue wasn’t built to accommodate an event with the line of succession for the U.S.… pic.twitter.com/HrFWfN2Mcj
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