California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, has slammed President Donald Trump’s conduct towards CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell during an interview on 60 Minutes on Sunday, April 26. Trump snapped at O’Donnell at one point, calling her “horrible” after she asked him a question about White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting suspect Cole Tomas Allen’s manifesto.
“My family and I watched the 60 Minutes interview with Donald Trump and Norah O’Donnell last night, and we were shocked. Seeing a president speak to a woman journalist with that level of contempt — and a clear allergy to facts — is disturbing, though at this point not unexpected given his pattern of behavior,” Siebel wrote on X.
She added, “But that is the problem. Because when that level of disrespect from the highest office in the country repeats itself, it starts to trickle down into our culture and define what power looks like, shaping how boys and plenty of men see women and girls and what they come to accept as normal behavior.”
“Add in rhetoric rooted in political division, amplified by a digital ecosystem that rewards outrage and misinformation, and this cultural norm of hate, othering, and misogyny becomes pervasive. Behavior that should be challenged gets normalized; what should raise concern is amplified and cheered on,” Siebel further wrote, adding that the culture “normalizes dominance and aggression toward women and girls, which not only silences them but also leads to internalized misogyny in others.”
Siebel then thanked O’Donnell, and “all of the female journalists, and frankly to all of YOU who continue to be brave and speak truth to power.”
“This culture of misogyny is on all of us, and it has to end,” she concluded.
Donald Trump’s interview with Norah O’Donnell
Trump discussed the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting with O’Donnell, revealing information like why JD Vance was evacuated more quickly than himself, and how he ended up on the ground during the evacuation.
At one point, Trump lashed out at O’Donnell for quoting the manifesto of Allen, which read, “I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.”
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Trump snapped at the reporter, saying, “Well, I was waiting for you to read that because I knew you would because you’re horrible people. Horrible people. Yeah, he did write that. I’m not a rapist. I didn’t rape anybody.”
O’Donnell interjected, “Oh, you think — do you think he was referring to you?”
Trump replied, “I’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, let’s say, Epstein or other things. But I said to myself, ‘You know, I’ll do this interview and they’ll probably’ — I read the manifesto. You know, he’s a sick person. But you should be ashamed of yourself reading that because I’m not any of those things.”
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“Mr. President, these are the gunman’s words,” O’Donnell said.
“And I was never — excuse me. Excuse me. You shouldn’t be reading that on 60 Minutes. You’re a disgrace. But go ahead. Let’s finish the interview,” Trump shot back.
Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, was arraigned in US District Court Monday, April 27, on charges stemming from the April 25 incident. He is now charged by complaint with one count of attempt to assassinate the President of the United States, transportation of a firearm & ammunition in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, the U.S. Department of Justice confirmed.
