President Trump's health secretary commended police for arresting a West Virginia reporter who shouted questions to him.

"They did what they felt was appropriate," Secretary Tom Price said when he was asked about it at a press conference on Wednesday.

"That gentleman was not in a press conference," he added. "We were walking down a hall, and Capitol Police acted as they thought necessary."

Dan Heyman, a reporter for Public News Service, was arrested Tuesday at the state Capitol. He said he was trying to get Price to comment about the effort by Republicans in Congress to repeal Obamacare.

Heyman said he asked a question about pre-existing conditions several times as he and Price walked through a hallway, but Price never responded. Then, according to Heyman, a member of Price's Secret Service detail signaled to Capitol police to remove him.

The reporter was arrested and charged with willful disruption of governmental processes, a misdemeanor. He was released on a $5,000 bond after being held for nearly eight hours. If found guilty, he could be forced to pay a fine of at least $100 and face jail time of up six months.

Heyman, 54, said that until he was arrested, it was a typical reporter scrum.

"They may not have seen my press pass right away but when I was arrested, I told them, 'I'm a reporter, just here doing my job,'" Heyman told CNNMoney.