Washington DC (Aryavarth): After being abruptly rushed out of the White House press briefing Monday, President Trump came back to the briefing room, saying the situation “seems to be very well under control.”
He told reporters that he had been escorted out of the briefing because there was a shooting outside of the White House.
“I’d like to thank the Secret Service for doing their always quick and very effective work, but there was an actual shooting, and somebody’s been taken to the hospital. I don’t know the condition of the person. Seems that the person was shot by Secret Service, so we’ll see what happens,” Trump said.
Asked by CNN’s Jeremy Diamond if he was taken to the bunker under the White House, Trump replied, “no, we were taken just out to the oval office.”
The President was also asked if he was rattled, he said, “I don’t know, do I seem rattled?”
“I feel very safe with the Secret Service, they’re fantastic people, they’re the best of the best, they’re highly trained,” Trump told reporters. “They just wanted me to step aside for a little while just to make sure that everything was clear outside.”
The suspect shot by Secret Service did not breach “anything,” Trump added.
“I don’t know if he was close or not, he or she,” the President said. He added that he had “such confidence” in the Secret Service.
“I don’t think the person breached anything,” he added. “I don’t believe anything was breached, I asked that question.”
A senior administration official confirmed to CNN’s Dana Bash that there was active shooter and the shooter is in custody.
The incident happened at the corner of 17th and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, just outside of the White House grounds and close to Lafayette park.
Trump abruptly departed the briefing room after a Secret Service agent approached him as he was speaking to the press and whispered something in his ear. “Sir, we’re just going to have to step outside,” the agent can be heard saying.
“Excuse me?” Trump asked.
“Step outside,” the agent said.
“Oh,” Trump said before departing the room.
Trump said he never thought about not returning to the briefing after being rushed out.
CNN reporters at the White House report the complex is still under lockdown.
