27 April 2026
Trump advises ’60 Minutes’ correspondent to read manifesto of alleged shooter
President Donald Trump advised CBS News correspondent Norah O’Donnell in a recorded interview at the White House Sunday afternoon as she quoted parts of the alleged manifesto of the suspected shooter who tried to strike at the White House correspondents’ dinner Saturday night.
Trump initially expressed a sense of solidarity with members of the press after the event on Saturday, but when O’Donnell directly quoted the alleged gunman’s words, he said, “I am no longer willing to allow a pedophile, rapist and traitor to wash my hands of his crimes.”
“Well, I was waiting for you to read it because I knew you would read it because you are terrible people,” Trump told O’Donnell when asked for his reaction. He said, “Terrible people. Yes, he wrote that. I’m not a rapist. I never raped anyone.”
O’Donnell interjected, “Oh, do you think he was referring to you?” But the President ignored her question and said, “I’m not a pedophile.”
O’Donnell then tried to tell Trump that she was just quoting the shooter’s alleged words, but Trump called her “disrespectful.”
“You shouldn’t be reading this on ’60 Minutes’.” You are a disgrace. But go ahead. He said, “Let’s end the interview.”
The suspect was identified by multiple media outlets as Cole A., a teacher and engineer from California. The attacker emailed the alleged manifesto to his family minutes before the attack, CBS News reported.
Editor’s note: In accordance with the German press code, DW refrains from publishing the full names of crime suspects and victims.