Trump Criticizes CBS News Following White House Correspondents’ Dinner Incident

President Donald Trump expressed strong disapproval of CBS News correspondent Norah O’Donnell and the show “60 Minutes” after reading the manifesto of the suspect involved in a recent shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Cole Allen from Torrance, California, had released a manifesto detailing his motives, which included anti-Trump and anti-Christian sentiments on social media.

During the dinner, O’Donnell read a segment from this document that referenced concerns about rapists and pedophiles, prompting her to ask Trump for his reaction.

Trump responded critically, saying, “I was waiting for you to read it because I knew you would read it because you’re terrible people.” He affirmed that he had absolutely no connection to the claims in the manifesto, insisting, “I’m not a rapist. I haven’t raped anyone.”

When O’Donnell questioned if the manifesto referred to him, Trump firmly denied any wrongdoing and labeled the situation as an attack, saying, “I’m not a pedophile. Did you read some stuff from a sick person?” He reiterated his innocence and expressed discomfort with being associated with the shooter’s words.

Despite O’Donnell’s assertion that she was quoting the shooter, Trump continued to deride her and the show as a “disgrace.” He further asserted, “You shouldn’t read that on 60 Minutes” and urged to move forward with the interview.

During their discussion, Trump also avoided commenting directly about any potential impact the shooting might have on his relations with mainstream media. “For some reason we disagree on a lot of subjects. We’re talking about crime. I’m very strong on crime,” he remarked, suggesting that the media’s stance differed significantly from his own views.

The White House has been contacted for further comments regarding the incident.

In related news, Trump had previously appeared on “60 Minutes” in November 2025. During that interview, he criticized the format again, mentioning a significant settlement payment from CBS News after feeling that an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris had been misleadingly edited.

He concluded with a remark about the current leadership at CBS, saying, “I think you’ve got a great new leader… I don’t know her, but I’ve heard she’s a great person.”