The shooting broke out at a Washington, D.C. hotel where an annual correspondents' dinner was being held on Saturday night, local time. Several members of the government were attending the dinner when shots were heard from another part of the building.
Trump, his wife Melania, and Vice President JD Vance were evacuated unharmed after the shooting.
The suspected shooter left behind a manifesto, according to Trump.
"When you read his manifesto, it's clear that he hates Christians, that's for sure. He hates Christians; it's a real hatred," the president told Fox News, continuing:
I think his sister, or maybe his brother, actually reported it. They even went to the police.
Out for Trump
It appears that the man targeted people within the Trump administration, including likely the president himself, said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
A member of the security detail was shot during the incident at very close range - but the protective vest “did its job,” Trump said at a press conference afterward.
FBI agents have searched an address in Torrance, California, that is linked to the suspect. The shooter is believed to have traveled to Washington by train from Los Angeles via Chicago, and investigators have been able to gather information from the suspect's electronic devices, according to Blanche.
The arrested man is "not actively cooperating" with investigators, Blanche told CBS News.
Ran past
Surveillance footage released after the incident shows a man running towards a security checkpoint in the building, passing several people. The suspect was tackled to the ground and handcuffed.
According to police, he had two firearms and several knives on him. The 31-year-old was staying at the hotel, according to Blanche.
At the press conference, Trump stated that being president is a dangerous profession and that people with the most influence become targets.
"I don't want to say I feel honored by it, but we have accomplished a lot," he said.
Dinner guests - several high-ranking politicians, government officials and international journalists - ducked under the tables as security personnel escorted Trump away.
The hotel was also the site of an assassination attempt on then-President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
