Accused of attempting shoot on Trump appears before court

A California man accused of storming a gala dinner attended by President Donald Trump was to appear in court on Monday over a shooting that marks the latest spasm of political violence in deeply divided America.

Administration officials said that the suspect in Saturday night’s shocking attack apparently aimed to kill Trump and senior officials at the press dinner in a Washington hotel.

Trump, who was rushed out of the ballroom in Washington by Secret Service agents, posted surveillance footage of the gunman attempting to sprint past a checkpoint one floor above the room where the dinner was held.

After a brief exchange of gunfire with agents, the suspect was detained at the scene.

Trump shared photos of the suspect handcuffed on the carpeted hotel floor, lying shirtless and face down.

In an interview aired Sunday night on the CBS programme, “60 Minutes", Trump was asked if he feared there would be casualties as the chaotic scene unfolded before him.

“I wasn’t worried. I understand life. We live in a crazy world,” Trump replied.

“He’s not actively cooperating. I expect that he will be formally charged tomorrow morning in federal court in Washington,” acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche told CBS’s ‘Face The Nation’ earlier on Sunday.

“We do believe, based upon just a very preliminary start to understanding what happened, that he was targeting members of the administration,” he added.

Blanche added that no further motive was known for the attack and confirmed the suspect, who officials said was armed with a shotgun, handgun and knives, was staying at the Washington Hilton hotel where the black-tie White House Correspondents’ Dinner was held.

Trump, without providing details, said the gunman had written an “anti-Christian” manifesto.

“The guy is a sick guy,” Trump told Fox News. “His sister or his brother actually was complaining about it. They were even complaining to law enforcement,” he added.

At a hastily arranged late-night news conference at the White House, Trump said he first thought the noise was a tray being dropped before realising it was gunfire.

He said he hoped the annual gala, hosted by the White House Correspondents Association, would be rescheduled within a month.

“They seem to think he was a lone wolf, and I feel that too,” the president said.

One officer was shot at close range in his safety vest and appeared to be not seriously harmed.

Trump added that the hotel venue was ‘not a particularly secure’ facility, as questions swirled about the president’s safety protocols.