CBS News' Norah O'Donnell caught a prolonged stray during Donald Trump's Thursday interview with Sean Hannity in China . The 79-year-old President suddenly segued to the 60 Minutes correspondent when asked whether there was any progress in talks about trade with Chinese leader Xi Jinping . Trump rapidly responded, 'It is progress, but I also tell people that, you know - I was in an interview with a very bad, you know, stupid reporter, she works for CBS, you saw the 60 Minutes. Stupid person. 'Just an average person,' he continued. 'You could take anybody off the street and it would be as good as she is. Very average. And she asked me a question. She talked about China.' The interview that earned Trump's ire was held by O'Donnell in November .

The CBS star sat down with the president again last month to read out lines from his most-recent would-be assassin's alleged manifesto . Trump called her a 'disgrace' in return. O'Donnell asked Trump in November how big a threat he thought China really was. The correspondent at the time flagged US intelligence reports that found advancements in the country's espionage. Trump recalled to Hannity how O'Donnell's 2025 interview touched on 'this and that, that [the Chinese] steal this and they steal that.' He bluntly declared, 'We do it to them too, you know?' 'They spy on us and we spy on them, too, I guess, you know,' Trump continued. 'They've been doing that for... 50 years.' 'We do things and they do things and that's the way it is.'

He told Salem News Channel’s Hugh Hewitt last week that O'Donnell, 52, was 'a regular person that gets paid a lot of money. 'I could get any woman off the street practically and they would do just as good of job as her. There’s nothing special.' O'Donnell, 52, stepped away from her demanding Evening News gig in late 2024 after the election, and following six years as host of the flagship show . She remains at CBS as a senior correspondent. She regularly contributes to 60 Minutes. Her April interview with Trump made headlines for an exchange about a line from 31-year-old White House Correspondents' Dinner shooter Cole Tomas Allen’s alleged manifesto. 'I am no longer willing to permit a [child predator], [sexual assaulter], and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes,' it read, in apparent reference to Trump's name appearing in previously classified documents compiled by feds during their probe into Jeffrey Epstein.

O'Donnell asked how the writer would come to such a conclusion and was immediately met with a terse response. 'I was waiting for you to read that because I knew you would, because you’re horrible people. Horrible people,' Trump fumed. 'Yeah, he did write that. 'I’m not a [sexual assaulter]. I didn’t [sexually assault] anybody,' he continued. As O'Donnell attempted to get a word in, Trump fully denounced the claims. 'I’m not a [child predator]. Excuse me. Excuse me. I’m not a [child predator] . You read that crap from some sick person? I got associated with stuff that has nothing to do with me. I was totally exonerated,' he said.

'Your friends on the other side of the plate are the ones that were involved with, let’s say, Epstein or other things'. O’Donnell answered, 'Mr. President, these are the gunman’s words.' 'You shouldn’t be reading that on 60 Minutes,' Trump quipped in return. 'You’re a disgrace. But go ahead. Let’s finish the interview. 'You’re disgraceful.' The Daily Mail reached out to CBS News for comment. Allen was arrested at the dinner on April 25 and remains in custody. He is charged with attempt to assassinate the president and assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon.