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President says event will be rescheduled, urges unity and defends security plans
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Summary
The president said the event will be rescheduled within 30 days, argued the White House ballroom is needed for higher security, and urged Americans to resolve political differences peacefully while acknowledging risk of politically motivated violence.
President Trump said the free‑speech event disrupted by the attack will be rescheduled and used the moment to emphasize security concerns and call for unity.
"We'll do it again within the next 30 days," the president said, promising to make future events "bigger and better and even nicer." He also argued for holding some events in the White House ballroom, calling it more secure and "drone proof" with "bulletproof glass," and said security officials and some military leaders had long sought access to the ballroom for such purposes.
The president repeatedly thanked law enforcement and said the unified response by attendees was "a very beautiful thing to see," urging Americans to "recommit with their hearts in resolving our difference peacefully." He tied the risk of attacks to prominence, saying people who "do the most" are targeted and calling those who commit violence "sick people" and "whack jobs."
Reporters pressed about motive and whether prior threats had been reported; the president said there had been no notification and that investigators would determine whether the attacker acted alone. He referenced past assassination attempts and foreign threats as context when pressed about national security.
The session closed after brief questioning. Organizers said the program would be rescheduled; law‑enforcement briefings and witness interviews were ongoing.
Next steps: the event will be rebooked and security plans reviewed; law enforcement will continue to investigate motive and any possible connections identified through interviews and searches.
