Donald Trump abruptly leaves press conference after shooting outside the White House

Donald Trump was scrambled from the White House briefing room just minutes into an opening statement on Monday after the secret service shot someone nearby.

The US president was talking about the likelihood of a stock market surge when suddenly a suited man with an earpiece asked him to leave the room.

Mr Trump later returned to the briefing room, where he had been addressing the press, to explain what had just happened.

Mr Trump said that someone who was armed had been shot by the secret service outside the White House fence, though he said exact details at the time remained unclear.

The president said that the person had been injured and taken to hospital.

Whether the incident had anything directly to do with Mr Trump was initially unclear, with the president saying: “It might not have had anything to do with me.”

The White House briefing room, which was once a swimming pool, sits at the northern side of the White House and is less than 100 metres from the permanent perimeter fence.

The US Secret Service later said on its official Twitter account that the shooting took place at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.  The connection of those two streets is around a block from entry points at the White House's northern perimeter.

The Secret Service later tweeted that the male subject and a Secret Service officer were transported to a local hospital.

"At no time during this incident was the White House complex breached or were any protectees in danger," the agency said.

According to Tom Sullivan, the chief of the Secret Service Uniformed Division, a 51-year-old male approached a Secret Service officer standing at the corner of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, one block from the White House.

The suspect told the officer he had a weapon and ran "aggressively" towards him, drawing an object out of his clothes, Mr Sullivan said in a statement that was broadcast on Twitter.

He then assumed a "shooter's stance" as if he intended to fire, whereupon the Secret Service officer shot him in the torso, Mr Sullivan added.

"The Secret Service Office of Professional Responsibility will be conducting an internal review of the officer's actions," Mr Sullivan said, adding the DC Metropolitan Police Department had been contacted.

Mr Trump had initially been asked to “step outside” by someone who appeared to be part of his security detail just a few minutes after the late afternoon briefing began.

The individual had interrupted Mr Trump’s opening statement in mid-flow as the TV cameras were rolling. Mr Trump then swiftly left the room.

Returning later, Mr Trump explained: “Sorry for that. There was a shooting outside of the White House. Seems to be very much under control."

He continued: “There was an actual shooting. Somebody’s taken to the hospital.”

Mr Trump said he had not been scrambled to the secure bunker below the White House, as has happened during anti-racism protests earlier this year.

He brushed away suggestions he would be rattled by the incident, saying: "Do I seem rattled? The world's always been a dangerous place.

"It's not unique. I feel very safe with the secret service. They're the best of the best."

Mr Trump said that he did not believe the White House perimeter had been breached.

The president also heaped praise on his secret security detail. At points throughout Mr Trump's presidency incidents have happened outside of the White House fence which have triggered a response from officers on site.

Most notably when anti-racism protests flared up in May, with demonstrators squaring off with officers by the White House fence after dark, Mr Trump was taken into the White House bunker.