President Donald Trump vehemently reacted to questions about an anti-Trump manifesto written by Cole Tomas Allen, the suspect in the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting. Trump lashed out at CBS journalist Norah O’Donnell for quoting the manifesto, which accused him of being a 'pedophile and rapist,' calling her 'horrible' and 'disgraceful.'
Cole Tomas Allen, the suspect in the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, is set to appear in court on Monday to face firearms and assault charges. The incident, which occurred at the Washington Hilton, saw gunshots fired, injuring one law enforcement officer and prompting Secret Service to rush President Trump and other officials to safety. Following the event, Trump gave an interview to CBS News’s 60 Minutes, where he reacted angrily when journalist Norah O’Donnell quoted segments of an alleged anti-Trump manifesto by Allen, which contained accusations of the president being a pedophile and rapist. Trump called O’Donnell 'a horrible person' and 'disgraceful' for reading the accusations, vehemently denying them and stating he was 'totally exonerated' from any associated 'crap.' He also addressed conspiracy theories suggesting the shooting was 'staged,' calling the theorists 'more sick than they are con people.' Furthermore, Trump used the interview to blame the 'very dangerous hate speech of the Democrats' for inspiring political violence and renewed his case for a controversial $400 million White House ballroom, arguing the shooting underscored the need for enhanced security. Allen reportedly sent the anti-Trump manifesto, in which he referred to himself as the 'Friendly Federal Assassin,' to his family before the attack.
