Overview
- President Trump escalated his criticism in follow-up interviews, calling Norah O’Donnell “terrible” and saying “any woman off the street” could do her job.
- O’Donnell had read lines from suspect Cole Allen’s document during a 60 Minutes interview held after the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting and asked for Trump’s reaction.
- Trump rejected the manifesto’s references by saying he is not a rapist or a pedophile and he labeled O’Donnell “a disgrace” for raising the quotes on air.
- He said he chose not to walk out of the taping because leaving would make the exchange a bigger story.
- CBS defended O’Donnell’s approach, noting Allen is charged with trying to assassinate the president and arguing it was responsible to question Trump about newly obtained evidence, while coverage also noted critics who fault Trump’s rhetoric.