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“Shark Tank” star and investor Kevin O’Leary supported President Donald Trump’s push for a football stadium at the White House as a way to showcase the “American Dream” and provide future administrations of both parties, days after the shooting of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
“I don’t think the ballroom is partisan, it’s bipartisan because one day there will be a Democratic president who will use the ballroom,” O’Leary told Fox News Digital.
These comments come as Republican members of Congress seek to approve a football stadium following the shooting at the Washington Hilton during an annual event attended by hundreds of reporters and Cabinet officials. Lawmakers believe this will provide a secure environment for future events.
O’Leary said the project, opposed by many Democrats, would also raise the “American brand” in the world.
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Kevin O’Leary visits the set of “Outnumbered” at the Fox News Channel Studios in New York City on April 18, 2024. (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)
“I want a ballroom because I believe in beauty and style, the American way,” he added.
He said the image of the nation is more than just the economy.
“People think that it is to send technology to other countries or to send energy abroad,” he said. “It’s not. It’s the American dream so you want to show that.”
He added that the ballroom will bring this image to life.
“Let’s wake up that ballroom and show the world the American Dream,” he said. “That’s it.”
He mentioned that this project will not rely on taxpayers’ money. President Trump said the project will be privately funded through private donations and foreign donors.
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President Donald Trump holds the handover of the planned White House Ballroom expansion during a meeting in the Oval Office with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Oct. 22, 2025, Washington, DC. (Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg)
“My lawyer here said that the taxpayers are not paying,” he said. “Then why don’t you let them have a ballroom? I don’t get it.”
However, Sens. Lindsey Graham, RS.C., Katie Britt, R-Ala., and Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., proposed new legislation this week that would fund the project using tax revenue from imports to cover the cost.
The lawsuit and court order halted construction of the 90,000-square-foot, $400 million ballroom. A federal court in March said construction must stop without congressional approval, but an appeal allowed limited underground construction to continue.
O’Leary addressed Saturday’s shooting, saying it happened “in the moment.”
“No one was hurt, thank you,” he said. “I think there’s going to be a lot of investigation into that.”
The suspect has been identified as Cole Allen, 31, from Torrance, Calif. He is charged with attempting to kill the President of the United States, transporting a firearm on federal highways and firing a firearm during a violent incident.
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Agents stand guard after the annual White House Correspondents Association Dinner in Washington, DC, on April 25, 2026. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Authorities say the suspect sent a manifesto to family members explaining his intention to target President Trump and other Cabinet officials.
President Trump said at a press conference Saturday night that the shooting reinforces the need for a White House playroom.
“We need a place to play,” she said. “That’s why the Secret Service, that’s why the military wants it. They’ve been looking for a ballroom for 150 years for many different reasons. But today it’s a little different, because today we need levels of security that maybe no one has seen before.”
O’Leary expressed skepticism about the future of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and expressed concern about hosting major events.
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“I also wonder if that dish will survive for a long time, because providing security for 2,600 people is almost impossible,” he said.
Fox News Digital’s Adam Pack and Alex Miller contributed to this report.
