On Sunday night, about 24 hours after a would-be assassin was arrested in the same building as the White House Correspondents Association Dinner, Donald Trump sat for an interview on 60 Minutes with correspondent Norah O’Donnell.
In it, Trump discussed the incident, including reports of the shooter’s alleged manifesto.
“I don’t know. It sounded– to me. I read a manifesto, which is– he’s radicalized. He was a Christian– believer, and then he became an anti-Christian, and he had a lotta change,” Trump said in the manifesto. “He’s been goin’ through a lot, based on what he wrote. His brother complained about him and I think reported him to the police. And his sister, likewise, complained about him. His family– was very concerned. He was– probably a pretty sick guy.”
At one point, O’Donnell asked Trump about some language in the manifesto, which indicated that the assailant was obsessed with the Jeffrey Epstein story.
🚨OH – MY – GOD!!! Trump has a total MELTDOWN and loses his freaking mind live on 60 Minutes.
He literally shouts:
“I’M NOT A PEDOPHILE.”
“I’M NOT A RAPIST.”
“YOU’RE A DISGRACE.”
Trump snapped when the reporter read part of the shooter’s manifesto, but here’s the thing:… pic.twitter.com/lIfsq8s7Gv
— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) April 26, 2026
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“I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes,” O’Donnell said in quoting the manifesto. This drew a rebuke from the president.
“Well, I was waiting for you to read that because I knew you would because you’re– you’re he– you’re horrible people. Horrible people. Yeah, he did write that. I’m– I’m not a rapist. I didn’t rape anybody… ‘m not a pedophile. Excuse me. Excuse me. I’m not a pedophile. 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, lets say, Epstein or other things.”
“You shouldn’t be reading that on 60 Minutes. You’re a disgrace. But go ahead. Let’s finish the interview,” Trump said in the interview.
The man arrested had said that he targeted “administration officials,” although he had made a point of excluding FBI Director Kash Patel from the list.
Photo courtesy of an X screenshot.
