Jennifer Newsom, wife of California Governor Gavin Newsom, has publicly condemned President Donald Trump for what she described as a 'disturbing' and 'misogynistic' outburst during his recent 60 Minutes interview. The interview, conducted by CBS's Norah O'Donnell on Sunday evening, focused on the assassination attempt that occurred just 24 hours earlier in Washington DC.
Background of the Incident
Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and thousands of other political figures and journalists had gathered at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night when a shooter, identified as 31-year-old Cole Allen, opened fire inside the venue. Allen was subdued by Secret Service agents, and no one was killed, though an agent was saved by a bulletproof vest.
Trump's Reaction to the Interview
During the interview, O'Donnell read excerpts from Allen's manifesto, which contained allegations about 'pedophiles' and 'rapists.' Trump reacted angrily, calling O'Donnell a 'disgrace' for reading the text. This prompted Jennifer Newsom to voice her outrage on social media.
On Monday afternoon, Newsom took to X (formerly Twitter) to express her shock at the president's conduct. 'My family and I watched the 60 Minutes interview with Donald Trump and Norah O’Donnell last night, and we were shocked,' she wrote. '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.'
Further Criticism
In a subsequent post, Newsom elaborated on her concerns: '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.'
She concluded with a message of support for O'Donnell and female journalists: 'Thank you to Norah, 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.'
Details of the Interview
During the interview, O'Donnell read from Allen's manifesto, which included lines such as: 'Administrative officials, they are targets' and 'I am no longer willing to permit a [child predator], [sexual abuser], and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.' Trump responded by denying any connection to such crimes and criticizing O'Donnell for reading the material.
Trump stated, '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 am not a [sexual abuser]. I didn't [sexually assault] anybody.' When O'Donnell tried to interject, Trump cut her off, saying, 'Excuse me. Excuse me. I am not a [child predator].'
He further accused the press and Democrats of being aligned against him, saying, 'It's not so much the press, but the press plus the Democrats. It's almost like they are one and the same.'
Trump's Comments on the Assassination Attempt
Trump also discussed the shooting incident, revealing that he may have inadvertently slowed the Secret Service's response. 'I wanted to see what was happening,' he said. 'And I wasn't going to make it that easy for them, I wanted to see what was going on.' He added that security eventually realized the severity of the situation.
Legal Proceedings
On Monday, Allen appeared in court for the first time, wearing a blue prison jumpsuit and showing no emotion. He faces charges of attempting to assassinate the President of the United States, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. The Department of Justice alleges that Allen attempted to attack the dinner by running through a Secret Service checkpoint with a shotgun, handgun, and knives.
