Trump Calls Interviewer A 'Disgrace' For Reading WHCD Shooter’s Manifesto

Topline President Donald Trump criticized CBS News host Norah O’Donnell, calling her a “disgrace”, after she read out a portion of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooter’s alleged manifesto, where he mentions allegations of sexual misconduct without naming anyone directly. Key Facts What Else Did Trump Say About The Shooting? When O’Donnell asked Trump how worried he was when he realized a gunman had entered the area, Trump responded: “I wasn’t worried. I understand life. We live in a crazy world.” When asked about First Lady Melania Trump’s reaction to the shooting, the president said: “People don’t like having it said that they were scared. But who wouldn’t be when you have a situation like that?” The president later said, “My thought was, ‘I’ve been through this a couple of times before. She [Melania] has not to this extent. She handled it great.” Tangent The president also said he wants the dinner to be rescheduled, because he doesn’t want “a crazy person to be able to cancel something like this.” Trump said he hopes “we’re going to do it again…we should do it within 30 days, and they'll have even more security, and they'll have bigger perimeter security. It'll be fine.” He then added: “It’s not that I want to go, I’m very busy, I don’t need that. I think it’s very important that they do it again.” What Do We Know About The Suspected Shooter And His Manifesto? The gunman who opened fire at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday night has been identified by several outlets as 31-year-old California-resident Cole Tomas Allen. According to officials, Allen was carrying a a shotgun and a handgun, which the Los Angeles Times reports was purchased legally in California. In his purported manifesto the shooter mentions his “rules of engagement” and designates Trump administration officials as targets “prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest.” The shooter mentions that “Mr. Patel” is excluded from his list of intended targets, likely a reference to FBI Director Kash Patel. The manifesto included other rules of engagement where the gunman says he doesn’t intend to target Secret Service, security officials or police unless it’s “necessary.” In the manifesto the shooter also appears to ridicule the security arrangements for the event, saying “what the hell is the Secret Service doing? … No damn security. Not in transport. Not in the hotel. Not in the event.” What Has Trump Said About The Manifesto? While Trump attacked O’Donnell for asking him about the manifesto, the president mentioned it earlier in the day when in called into Fox News. “When you read his manifesto, he hates Christians,” Trump told Fox, adding, “That's one thing for sure. He hates Christians, a hatred.” Reports about the manifesto don’t mention any hatred directed at Christians, however, the shooter mentions being asked to “turn the other cheek” as a Christian and retorts “Turning the other cheek is for when you yourself are oppressed...Turning the other cheek when *someone else* is oppressed is not Christian behavior; it is complicity in the oppressor’s crimes.” Further Reading Suspect Reportedly Mocked Security Measures Before White House Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting (Forbes)