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“Shark Tank” star and investor Kevin O’Leary backed President Donald Trump’s push for a White House ballroom as a way to showcase the “American Dream” and serve future administrations of both parties, days after the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting.
“I don’t think the ballroom’s a partisan issue, it’s bipartisan because one day there’ll be a Democratic president that’ll use the ballroom,” O’Leary told Fox News Digital.
The comments come as congressional Republicans push to approve the ballroom following the shooting at the Washington Hilton ballroom during the annual event attended by hundreds of journalists and Cabinet officials. Lawmakers believe this would offer a secure venue for future events.
O’Leary argued the project, opposed by many Democrats, would also elevate the “American brand” on the world stage.
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“I want the ballroom because I believe in pomp and circumstance, the American brand,” he added.
He said the nation’s image is more than just the economy.
“People think it’s exporting technology or exporting energy,” he said. “It’s not. It’s the American Dream and so you want to showcase that.”
He added the ballroom would bring this image to life.
“Let’s get that ballroom fired up and show the world the American Dream,” he said. “That’s what it is.”
He noted the project would not rely on taxpayer dollars. President Trump said the project would be privately financed through personal contributions and outside donors.
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“My lobbyist over here said the taxpayers are not paying for it,” he said. “So then why not let them have a ballroom? I don’t get it.”
However, Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Katie Britt, R-Ala., and Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., proposed new legislation this week that would fund the project using customs fees on imports to cover the cost.
A lawsuit and court-ordered injunction halted construction of the 90,000-square-foot, $400 million ballroom. A federal court ruled in March that construction must stop without congressional approval, but an appeal allowed limited below-ground construction to continue.
O’Leary addressed Saturday’s shooting, saying it unfolded “at a moment’s notice.”
“No one was hurt, thank goodness,” he said. “I think there’ll be a lot of investigations on that stuff.”
The suspect was identified as Cole Allen, 31, of Torrance, Calif. He is facing charges of attempting to assassinate the President of the United States, transporting a firearm across state lines and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
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Authorities said the suspect sent a manifesto to family members outlining his intent to target President Trump and other Cabinet officials.
President Trump said at a news conference Saturday night the shooting reinforces the need for a White House ballroom.
“We need the ballroom,” he said. “That’s why the Secret Service, that’s why the military are demanding it. They’ve wanted the ballroom for 150 years for lots of different reasons. But today is a little bit different, because today we need levels of security that probably nobody’s ever seen before.”
O’Leary expressed doubts about the future of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and raised concerns about securing large-scale events.
“I also wonder about long-term if that dinner’s going to survive, because providing the security for 2,600 people is next to impossible,” he said.
Fox News Digital’s Adam Pack and Alex Miller contributed to this report.
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