Donald Trump Calls White House Shooting Suspect ‘Anti-Christian’, Cites Manifesto

US President Donald Trump on Sunday described the suspect involved in the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting as driven by "strongly anti-Christian" motives, citing early assessments and the individual's alleged manifesto.

Speaking to Fox News, President Trump described the suspect as harbouring deep religious hostility.

"The guy is a sick guy, when you read his manifesto. He hates Christians, that's one thing for sure... and I think his sister or his brother actually was complaining about it. They were even complaining to law enforcement. He was a very troubled guy,” Trump added.

A gunman attempted to storm into the ballroom of the Washington Hilton hotel during the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Saturday night, forcing the evacuation of President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and Vice President, in a chaotic scene that drew immediate comparisons to the 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan at the very same hotel.

How did the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting unfold at the Washington Hilton?

The suspect fired at least one shot before being subdued by law enforcement.

Authorities confirmed that the gunman never entered the ballroom and was not close to the president. One law enforcement officer was injured in the incident.

The Washington Hilton carries a grim place in American political history.

Forty-five years ago, when President Ronald Reagan left the same hotel and headed for his waiting limousine on a gray March afternoon, he was exposed for mere seconds.

That was all it took for a would-be assassin to take aim and fire.

Reagan was hit in the chest and nearly died. As per news agency AP, The Hilton has since hosted hundreds of large events attended by presidents and other dignitaries since it opened in the 1960s.

What did Weijia Jiang say about the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting response?

White House Correspondents' Association President Weijia Jiang on Sunday thanked law enforcement for their swift response.

"Last night's shooting at the Washington Hilton was a harrowing moment for everyone in attendance,” Jiang said in a statement, as reported by PTI.

“We express our deepest gratitude to the U.S. Secret Service and all law enforcement personnel who ensured the safety of everyone in the ballroom and beyond," she added.

"Their actions protected thousands of guests, and we wish a full and speedy recovery to the officer who was injured in the line of duty. We are grateful everyone in attendance was unharmed, including the President, the First Lady, and the Vice-President,” said Jiang.

The incident, which occurred less than 48 hours before Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla were scheduled to begin a four-day state visit to the United States, briefly raised questions about whether the royal trip would go ahead as planned.

Buckingham Palace confirmed on Sunday that the visit would proceed as scheduled.

As per AFP, the palace said King Charles was "greatly relieved" that Trump, Melania, and other guests were unharmed.

"The King and Queen are most grateful to all those who have worked at pace to ensure this remains the case and are looking forward to the Visit getting underway tomorrow,” the Palace said in a statement.

(With inputs from ANI)