California – As prominent political figures and lawmakers, including Democrats from deep-blue states such as California, continue to call for peace following the shooting attack in D.C., public attention has already shifted to Trump’s recent public appearance.
President Donald Trump’s already tense relationship with CBS News and “60 Minutes” flared again Sunday night, this time during an interview centered partly on the investigation into the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting and the alleged writings of the suspect.
The exchange turned sharply confrontational after CBS News correspondent Norah O’Donnell read from what authorities have described as an alleged manifesto prepared by the suspect, identified as 31-year-old Cole Allen of California.
Officials said Allen had outlined his intent in the document and had also shared anti-Trump and anti-Christian rhetoric on social media.
O’Donnell brought up alleged portions of the document that referred to concerns about a ra**st and a pedo**ile, then asked Trump to respond.
The president, who appeared to anticipate the question, immediately pushed back on the decision to read those words on air.
“Well, I was waiting for you to read that because I knew you would because you’re horrible people,” Trump said. “Horrible people. Yeah, he did write that. I’m not a ra**st. I didn’t ra*e anybody.”
When O’Donnell asked whether Trump believed the suspect was referring to him, the president grew even more forceful.
He rejected the language in the alleged manifesto and accused the program of giving attention to claims he said had no connection to him.
“I’m not a pedo**ile,” Trump said. “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,” Trump said.
He then continued: “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 attempted to explain that she was quoting the alleged gunman’s own words, not making the claims herself. Trump, however, did not soften his response. Instead, he accused her and the broadcast of crossing a line by repeating the language from the alleged document.
“You shouldn’t be reading that on ‘60 Minutes.’ You’re a disgrace. But go ahead. Let’s finish the interview,” Trump said.
The moment quickly became the sharpest point in an interview already loaded with tension.
For Trump, the issue was not simply the investigation or the contents of the alleged manifesto, but the decision by one of the country’s most prominent news programs to read inflammatory language connected to a suspect accused in a high-profile shooting.
For O’Donnell, the question was framed as part of the public record surrounding the case and the suspect’s stated motivations.
The interview also touched on whether the shooting might alter Trump’s relationship with mainstream news organizations. On that point, Trump did not give a firm answer. Instead, he returned to a broader criticism he has made many times: that the press and Democrats are closely aligned against him.
“Look, for whatever reason, we disagree on a lot of subjects,” Trump said.
“We talk about crime. I’m very strong on crime. It seems like the press isn’t. It’s not so much the press. It’s the press plus the Democrats because they’re almost one and the same. It’s the craziest thing.”
His comments reflected a familiar theme in Trump’s public remarks, but the setting gave them added weight. “60 Minutes” has long been one of the most visible platforms in American political television, and Trump’s history with the program has been combative.
That history includes his November 2025 appearance on the show, when he openly taunted “60 Minutes” over a legal settlement involving CBS News and parent company Paramount. Trump had previously sued the news organization over what he said was the editing of an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris. CBS News and Paramount later paid Trump a $16 million settlement.
During the extended version of that earlier interview, Trump brought up the settlement directly.
“And actually ‘60 Minutes’ paid me a lot of money,” Trump said at the time.
“And you don’t have to put this on because I don’t want to embarrass you, and I’m sure you’re not.”
He also referred to Bari Weiss, the new editor-in-chief of CBS News, and described her in positive terms.
“I think you have a great new leader, frankly, because the young woman that’s leading your whole enterprise is a great, from what I know, I don’t know her, but I hear she’s a great person,” Trump said.
He continued by arguing that the program had been forced to pay because of how it handled Harris’ answer.
“But ‘60 Minutes’ was forced to pay me a lot of money because they took [Harris’] answer out that was so bad,” Trump said.
That 2025 appearance marked Trump’s first time on “60 Minutes” since October 2020, during his first presidential term.
Now, with the president again clashing with the program over one of the country’s most sensitive news stories, the relationship between Trump and CBS appears no less strained. The latest interview ended where it began: with Trump accusing the media of unfair treatment, and “60 Minutes” once again at the center of the storm.
