When Trump Rants, Denying He's a Rapist-Paedophile
US President Donald Trump became furious when a CBS News journalist read out the contents of a shooting suspect’s manifesto during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday (25/4) night local time. Initially, Trump expressed camaraderie with the White House press corps hosting him at the annual dinner and shared the panic felt when armed law enforcement stormed the ballroom where the event was held. However, as reported by Politico on Monday (27/4/2026), when the manifesto of the shooter, Cole Allen, was read during a CBS News “60 Minutes” interview with journalist Norah O’Donnell, recorded at the White House on Sunday (26/4), Trump, who had been relatively calm throughout, suddenly unleashed his anger. “That manifesto that’s being mentioned is really shocking to read, Mr President. He seems to refer to a motive in it,” O’Donnell said to Trump in the interview. “He wrote this quote, ‘Government officials, they are the target’. And he also wrote this, ‘I’m no longer willing to let a paedophile, rapist, and traitor dirty my hands with his crimes’. What’s your reaction to that?” she asked. In response, Trump criticised O’Donnell for reading that part and called the CBS News journalist a “bad person”. “I was waiting for you to read that because I knew you would read it, because you’re a bad person. A bad person,” he said. “Yes, he did write that. I’m not a rapist. I didn’t rape anyone,” Trump asserted. O’Donnell interrupted Trump with a question: “Oh, do you think he was referring to you?” However, Trump ignored her question, emphasising: “I’m not a paedophile. Sorry. Sorry. I’m not a paedophile.” The US President seemed offended by what he perceived as a jab at his relationship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, whose name was not mentioned in the suspect’s manifesto or by O’Donnell. “You’re reading rubbish from a mentally ill person. I’m associated with everything – things that have absolutely nothing to do with me. I’ve been completely exonerated,” Trump told O’Donnell. When O’Donnell asked again if Trump thought the dinner incident would change his experience with the press, he did not answer directly. Trump described most of the press as left-leaning and opposed to his policies on immigration and crime. However, Trump later launched a sharp response. “You should be ashamed to read that because I’m not one of those things,” he said. “You shouldn’t have read that on 60 Minutes. You’re embarrassing,” Trump rebuked O’Donnell.