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Trump praises arrest at White House

President Donald Trump says the US Secret Service did a "fantastic job" apprehending a "troubled person" who got onto the White House grounds after climbing a fence on the east side of the property while Trump was inside the executive mansion.

It was the first known security breach at the White House since Trump took office nearly two months ago.

Washington, DC, police identified the intruder as 26-year-old Jonathan Tran of Milpitas, California.

When approached by a Secret Service officer on the south grounds about 11:38pm on Friday and asked whether he had a pass authorising him to be in the restricted area, Tran replied, "No, I am a friend of the president. I have an appointment," the police report said. Asked how he got there, he said he "jumped the fence."

The Secret Service said in a statement that the intruder, whom it did not identify, had climbed an outer perimeter fence near the Treasury Department and East Executive Avenue. He was arrested without further incident and no hazardous materials were found in his backpack, the agency said.

"Secret Service did a fantastic job last night," Trump said Saturday from his golf club in Northern Virginia. He described the intruder as a "troubled person" and "very sad". He was briefed on the matter on Friday night.