President Donald Trump used the assassination attempt to defend his White House ballroom project after an attempted attempt to enter the White House Correspondents Dinner (WHCD), where top administration officials and hundreds of journalists were evacuated. Despite a federal judge stopping construction on the controversial $400 million project, which began when Trump ordered the demolition of the East Wing last October, it is widely viewed as a vehicle for corporate donors to curry favor with Trump. The alleged shooter, identified as Cole Allen, was staying at the Washington Hilton, the hotel where the WHCD traditionally takes place, and has been identified as a 31-year-old man from Torrance, CA. This is the third assassination attempt on Trump's life, making him the US president with the most assassination attempts on his life.