President Donald Trump criticized CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell in an interview Sunday for citing a manifesto from the suspected gunman who tried to attack the White House correspondents dinner less than 24 hours earlier.
Trump initially expressed a sense of camaraderie with members of the press corps who hosted him at his annual dinner and experienced the same initial nervousness when armed law enforcement agents stormed the ballroom.
But when O’Donnell quoted accused gunman Cole Allen’s candid manifesto during a recorded White House interview on Sunday — “I no longer want to allow a pedophile, rapist and traitor to cover his hands for his crimes,” he read — Trump, who had been relatively subdued in his responses, showed a familiar anger.
“I was waiting for you to read it because I knew you would, because you’re terrible people. Terrible people,” Trump said. “Yes, that’s what he wrote. I’m not a rapist. I haven’t raped anyone.”
O’Donnell interjected, “Oh, do you think he was referring to you?”
But the president dismissed her question, saying, “I’m not a pedophile.”
Trump was incensed at what he perceived to be any hint about her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, who was not mentioned by name in the manifesto or by O’Donnell. The President said, “You read this nonsense from some sick person.” “I got involved in something that had nothing to do with me. I was completely exonerated.”
O’Donnell had just asked Trump if he thought the dinner experience would change his experience with the press. He responded candidly, saying that the press corps was largely left-leaning and opposed his policies on immigration and crime.
But his sharp reaction to her moments later gave a very clear answer.
“You should be ashamed of yourself for reading this, because I’m none of those things,” Trump said. “You shouldn’t be reading this on ’60 Minutes’.” You are disrespectful.”
