President Donald Trump bashed CBS News correspondent Norah O’Donnell after she read lines from the suspect who opened fire during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner’s alleged manifesto during his 60 Minutes interview Sunday (April 27) night.
Trump called O’Donnell a “disgrace” and said she should be ashamed of herself after quoting Cole Allen‘s reported penned message in which he stated his intention to target Trump administration officials and claimed he was “no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes” in reference to the president’s past relationship with late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his handling of the release of files related to his case.
“Well, I was waiting for you to read that because I knew you would because you’re horrible people,” Trump told O’Donnell after she asked for his reaction. “Horrible people. Yeah, he did write that. I’m not a rapist. I didn’t rape anybody.”
“Do you think he was referring to you?” O’Donnell asked.
“I’m not a pedophile,” Trump responded. “You read that crap from some sick person? I got associated with all…stuff that has nothing to do with me. I was totally exonerated.
“Your friends on the other side of the plate are the ones that were involved with, let’s say, Epstein or other things. But I said to myself, ‘You know, I’ll do this interview and they’ll probably…’ I read the manifesto. You know, he’s a sick person. “But you should be ashamed of yourself reading that because I’m not any of those things.”
O’Donnell said she was just quoting the shooter’s alleged words before Trump labeled her as “disgraceful.”
“You shouldn’t be reading that on 60 Minutes. You’re a disgrace. But go ahead. Let’s finish the interview,” he added.
Trump has never been formally charged in connection with Epstein. Allen reportedly called himself the “Friendly Federal Assassin” and confirmed his intention to officials within the Trump administration in a manifesto, a U.S. official told the New York Post.
Allen’s brother in Connecticut reportedly provided the manifesto to police after he was detained by Secret Service agents. Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew Quinn claimed that the shooter attempted to commit a “national tragedy” as the press was focused on the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
“Tonight, a coward attempted to create a national tragedy,” Quinn said in a statement shared by the Secret Service. “He underestimated the protective capabilities of the U.S. Secret Service, and was stopped at first contact. The strength of our layered security posture was evident, with a myriad of countermeasures still ahead. Grateful for the brave men and women of the Secret Service and our valued Law Enforcement partners.”
Allen, a teacher from Torrance, California, was identified by multiple sources as the man accused of rushing a security checkpoint with a shotgun, handgun and multiple knives and opening fire just after 8:30 p.m. local time before being subdued at the Washington, D.C., event. President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump made their grand entrance about 20 minutes prior to gunshots erupting.
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