A day after a man armed with multiple weapons charged a security checkpoint and opened fire outside the ballroom at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, President Donald Trump appeared on CBS’ “60 Minutes.”
Speaking with Norah O’Donnell, he commended law enforcement’s quick reactions but took jabs at the press – a marked shift from his more moderate tone towards the media last night.
Here’s what happened:
Moment of the attack: Trump said the atmosphere began to shift during a segment of the event in which entertainer Oz Pearlman was attempting to guess the name of White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt’s unborn child. As the disturbance escalated, Trump said both he and the first lady began to recognize that the situation was more serious than they initially believed.
“We live in a crazy world”: Trump said he “wasn’t worried” as loud bangs rang out Saturday night. “I understand life. We live in a crazy world,” he said.
First lady: Trump said that the first lady “handled it great.” Melania Trump was not present at the two assassination attempts against him in 2024, one in Butler, Pennsylvania, and the other in West Palm Beach, Florida. “I’ve been through this before a couple of times. And she has not to this extent,” Trump said. But his wife is “very strong, smart,” he said.
Law enforcement: Trump commended authorities for acting quickly to apprehend the gunman, despite his speed. “When you look at it on tape, it’s almost like a blur,” Trump said. “But it was amazing because as soon as they (law enforcement) saw that, you could see them draw their guns. They were so professional, aimed their guns, and then they took him down immediately.”
“You’re a disgrace:” Trump became defensive when O’Donnell read an excerpt of the suspect’s reported writings, which didn’t mention Trump by name: “I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.” He said that O’Donnell “should be ashamed” of herself. “You shouldn’t be reading that on ‘60 Minutes,’ you’re a disgrace,” he said. “I’m not a rapist. I didn’t rape anybody. Excuse me, I’m not a pedophile,” he said. “You read that crap from some sick person I got associated with, stuff that has nothing to do with me. I was totally exonerated.”
Accusations of press bias: Trump accused members of the press of being “almost one and the same” with the Democratic Party and said the press isn’t “strong on crime.” He said that while “there are great people in the press,” the press was “very liberal.”
Another dinner – with more security: The president called for the dinner to be rescheduled within 30 days and include more security. “I hope we’re going to do it again,” he said. “We should do it within 30 days, and they’ll have even more security, and they’ll have bigger perimeter security.”$