Trump Fans Erupt Online After 60 Minutes Reporter Calls Him ‘Mr Trump’

CBS News reporter Norah O’Donnell faced a wave of anger from MAGA supporters after her recent interview with President Donald Trump on 60 Minutes.

The reason? She referred to him as “Mr Trump” instead of “President Trump.”

“I hate when they call him, ‘Mr Trump!’ He is the PRESIDENT. 60 Minutes doesn’t deserve to interview him – let’s see how they spin this,” one X user wrote.

O’Donnell’s interview covered a range of topics, including food insecurity in the United States amid the ongoing government shutdown and CBS News’ new leadership under Bari Weiss.

But many viewers could not move past the honorific.

“You do realize that he’s the president the whole time you called him, Mr. TRUMP. You should be a little bit more humble. He just took millions from your corrupt network and you have the nerve to call him Mr. TRUMP and not Mr. PRESIDENT you’re a bunch of scumbags you’re fake news,” another X user posted.

The comment referenced Paramount Global, CBS News’s parent company, which paid Trump a $16 million settlement after he sued, claiming that 60 Minutes heavily edited an interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris ahead of the 2024 election.

Despite the outrage, referring to a president by last name is not unusual. NPR has explained that it uses the “Mr.” honorific on second reference for all presidents.

“Although many listeners find this second reference offensive, it is not a new policy. NPR has used ‘Mr.’ since the mid-1970s when President Gerald Ford was in office. The president is the only person whom NPR routinely refers to with the Mr. honorific on second reference. If NPR does a story, say on James Hamilton, an Ohio car dealer, he will be Hamilton on second reference, not Mr. Hamilton,” NPR wrote during Barack Obama’s first term.

At the time, Democrats complained about NPR referring to Obama as “Mr Obama.” Today, the complaints come from MAGA supporters, wearing red hats instead of blue.

“No less than twice during the Trump 60 minutes interview, the narrator said MR Trump not President Trump. This is not by accident. Pay attention,” one X user wrote, adding a conspiratorial twist.

Other commenters went further. One, using the name “Gina Zippi Hicks,” called O’Donnell a “disrespectful skank” for not using the full presidential title. Another asked why she must “undermine the presidency” by refusing to call Trump “President Trump.”

Trump himself did not comment directly on the honorific. Instead, the White House issued a statement on Monday praising the interview as a “powerhouse interview” that highlighted the “most accomplished nine months of any presidency in history.”

The episode also included discussions about the CBS network and its leadership under Bari Weiss, but it was the simple use of “Mr Trump” that got the headlines trending.

Some observers noted the irony. A network paying millions in a legal settlement now faces outrage over one short phrase. “It is remarkable that a two-word honorific can cause more controversy than millions of dollars changing hands,” one analyst said.

O’Donnell has not publicly responded to the backlash. CBS has maintained its editorial standard, which follows the same guidelines NPR uses.

The MAGA response highlights the intensity of loyalty to Trump and the sensitivity around any perceived slight. Some comments drifted into anger, others into humor, but the underlying frustration was clear.

Featured image via The Daily Glitch gallery