Donald Trump Slams Interviewer for Quoting Shooting Suspect’s Alleged Manifesto
President Donald Trump slammed 60 Minutes correspondent Norah O’Donnell after she quoted the alleged manifesto of the man accused of opening fire at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner.
60 Minutes’ Norah O’Donnell called a ‘disgrace’ by Donald Trump
The confrontation happened less than 24 hours after chaos erupted at the Washington Hilton ballroom. Gunfire rang out Saturday evening as magician Oz the Mentalist performed on stage, attempting to guess the name of Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s unborn baby. Agents immediately evacuated Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and other administration members to a secure holding room. The alleged shooter, Cole Allen, was detained on the scene.
Sitting down with Norah O’Donnell for 60 Minutes on Sunday, Trump was asked about it as well. Among many things, the correspondent quoted a section of the manifesto Allen allegedly sent to family members during the attack. The New York Post had published it ahead of the broadcast.
O’Donnell read a line where the suspect writes of no longer permitting “a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.” The passage does not mention Trump by name. “I was waiting for you to read that because I knew you would, because you’re horrible people. He did write that. I’m not a rapist, I didn’t rape anybody.”
When O’Donnell pointed out that the shooter did not specifically name him in that section, Trump interrupted. “Excuse me. I’m not a pedophile. You read that crap from some sick person,” he said. “I was totally exonerated.” Trump shifted the attack, invoking the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. “Your friends on the other side of the plate are the ones that were involved with, let’s say Epstein, or other things,” he stated. Then Donald Trump scolded Norah O’Donnell directly. “You should be ashamed of yourself [for] reading that, because I’m not any of those things.”
O’Donnell stated she was simply quoting the gunman. Trump dismissed the distinction, calling her “a disgrace” and “disgraceful” before the interview continued.
Source: Comingsoon.net