Jennifer Newsom sharply criticized Donald Trump on Monday following a tense exchange during his recent 60 Minutes interview, which took place shortly after another attempt on his life.
The interview, conducted by CBS correspondent Norah O’Donnell, was meant to focus on the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Instead, it turned confrontational when O’Donnell brought up parts of the suspected gunman’s manifesto.
As she read aloud language in which the shooter referred to “pedophiles” and “rapists,” Trump cut in, clearly angered by the decision to repeat those words on air.
He pushed back forcefully, calling O’Donnell “disgraceful” and objecting to the framing of the question. At one point, he suggested the interview shouldn’t even be aired, taking issue not just with the content but with the way it was presented. O’Donnell attempted to clarify that she was quoting directly from the suspect’s writings, but the exchange had already escalated.
Jennifer Newsom, the wife of California Governor Gavin Newsom, responded the next morning. Posting on social media, she said she found the president’s tone toward O’Donnell troubling, describing it as part of a broader pattern. She framed the moment less as a disagreement over journalism and more as an example of how women in the media are treated.
According to Newsom, the interaction reflected a kind of hostility that goes beyond a single interview. She argued that this kind of rhetoric contributes to a wider culture that normalizes aggression toward women, both in public life and beyond. While she acknowledged that Trump’s approach wasn’t surprising, she said it was still concerning to see it play out so openly.
NEW: Gavin Newsom’s wife has meltdown over how President Trump treated Norah O’Donnell during the 60 Minutes interview.
“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… pic.twitter.com/wh95kV1F3O
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 27, 2026
Her comments quickly drew pushback. Some critics argued that focusing on the journalist’s gender missed the point of the exchange. Journalist Glenn Greenwald, among others, questioned whether calling for a softer tone toward female reporters actually reinforces the very stereotypes it claims to challenge. He suggested that expecting different treatment based on gender could be seen as a form of condescension rather than support.
The moment that sparked all of this came during a particularly sensitive time. Just hours before the interview, a gunman had opened fire at the Washington Hilton, where the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was taking place. The suspect has since been charged with multiple offenses, including attempted assassination of the president.
That context gave the interview a different weight. What might have otherwise been a heated but routine back-and-forth between a president and a journalist instead landed in the middle of a much larger and more volatile moment.
Newsom closed her remarks by expressing support for O’Donnell and other journalists who continue to press public officials under difficult circumstances. She framed their work as essential, even when it draws criticism, and argued that the broader culture surrounding these exchanges is something that needs to change.
