President Trump in his first interview since a gunman stormed the White House Correspondents' Dinner on April 25 attacked the media and Democrats on CBS's "60 Minutes." [1, 2]
Trump described the shooting as a shared brush with death and said he had first called for a truce with the media after the attack. He also said he had been ready to sharply criticize journalists at the dinner but appreciated the unity in the room after the shooting. [1]
In the interview with reporter Norah O'Donnell, Trump called her "disgraceful" for reading excerpts from the alleged shooter's manifesto that contained false and defamatory claims about him. He denied the shooter's claims that he was a rapist or pedophile and said Democrats, not him, were tied to Jeffrey Epstein. [2, 1]
Trump said political violence has existed for hundreds of years and denied that it has increased in recent years. He blamed Democrats' "hate speech" as more dangerous for the country than political violence. [1]
Press freedom groups have condemned Trump's verbal attacks on journalists, saying they foster hostility that undermines press freedom. [2]
The CBS interview aired on April 26, the day after Trump first sat down with "60 Minutes" following the shooting. [2]
