Trump Rebukes '60 Minutes' Anchor Norah O'Donnell After She Reads Shooter's Manifesto, Calling Her a 'Disgrace'

President Donald Trump on Sunday evening publicly rebuked CBS '60 Minutes' anchor Norah O'Donnell after she read passages from the manifesto allegedly written by the man charged in the shooting at the Washington Hilton during the White House Correspondents' Dinner. The exchange occurred during a televised interview in which Trump discussed the incident and his own safety.

The shooting took place Saturday night when, according to reports, a heavily armed man stormed the lobby of the Washington Hilton, sprinted past a Secret Service checkpoint and fired at a Secret Service agent. Law enforcement identified the suspect as Cole Allen, 31, of Torrence, California. Allen was taken into custody and charged with using a firearm during a crime of violence and assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon.

On Sunday it emerged that investigators had found a manifesto written by the suspect in which he expressed hostility toward a figure he identified as a "pedophile, rapist" and named Donald Trump in his criticisms. Portions of the manifesto quoted in media outlets included the suspect referring to himself as a ‘friendly federal assassin’ and passages such as: “Turning the other cheek is for when you yourself are oppressed. I’m not the person raped in a detention camp. I’m not the fisherman executed without trial.” The manifesto also stated, “I’m not a schoolkid blown up, or a child starved, or a teenage girl abused by the many criminals in this administration. Turning the other cheek when *someone else* is oppressed is not Christian behavior; it is complicity in the oppressor’s crimes,” and, “I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.”

During his interview with O'Donnell, Trump addressed the shooting and the contents of the manifesto. The former president and his team have referred to the event as another in a series of ‘close call’ assassination attempts against him. O'Donnell read aloud portions of the suspect's writing during the segment, which prompted an immediate and emotional response from Trump.

“I was waiting for you to read that because I knew you would, because you’re horrible people. Horrible people,” Trump told O'Donnell during the exchange. “Yeah, he did write that. I’m not a rapist. I didn’t rape anybody.” When O'Donnell pressed, asking, “Oh, do you think he was referring to you?” Trump replied emphatically, “I’m not a pedophile.” He went on to say, “You read that crap from some sick person. I got associated with stuff that has nothing to do with me. I was totally exonerated,” a remark the article noted was seemingly referring to allegations connected to Jeffrey Epstein.

As the back-and-forth continued, Trump escalated his criticism directly at the anchor. “You should be ashamed of yourself for reading that, because I’m not any of those things,” he said. “Excuse me! Excuse me! You shouldn’t be reading that on ‘60 Minutes.’ You’re a disgrace, but go ahead, let’s finish the interview.” His comments underscored the tension between covering the facts of a violent crime and the potential for media coverage to amplify a shooter’s ideology.

Federal prosecutors have charged Cole Allen with using a firearm during a crime of violence and assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon; the investigation into the shooting and the suspect’s motives was ongoing. The confrontation between Trump and O'Donnell during a high-profile interview highlights ongoing debates about media responsibility in reporting violent incidents and the heightened security environment surrounding former and current senior officials after multiple attempts or plots aimed at public figures.

The incident at the Washington Hilton, the charges against the suspect, and the televised exchange between Trump and O'Donnell remain subjects of continuing public and legal scrutiny as authorities continue to investigate the circumstances of the shooting and the content and origin of the manifesto.