Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell sparred with CBS New's Scott Pelley over comments from President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE deriding the Fed in an episode of "60 Minutes" that aired Sunday.

"Traditionally, presidents don’t criticize the Fed," Pelley said in the March 5 interview. "When you heard President Trump call the Fed 'crazy' and 'out of control,' what did you think?"

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"I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to comment on other elected officials or on the president," Powell responded.

Pelley continued to press Powell on Trump's comments.

"You have a rule about speaking about President Trump?" he asked.

"I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to comment on the president," Powell said.

"Isn't it your duty to respond when the president calls the Fed a 'much bigger problem than China'?" Pelley continued.

Powell responded that remarking on comments made by "any elected official" would be a "distraction" from his duty.

"My duty is one that Congress has given us, which is to use our tools to achieve maximum employment and stable prices and to supervise and regulate banks so that they treat their customers fairly and so that they're strong, well-capitalized and can perform their critical function in good times and bad," Powell said.

"That's my job. And I think for me to get into responding to any elected official would be a distraction from that job."

Powell has led the central bank for over a year and has faced intense criticism from Trump, who appointed him to chair the central bank in 2017.

Trump has blasted Powell and the Fed for raising interest rates four times and reportedly considered firing him late last year.

Pelley pressed Powell on whether the Fed chief decided to stop raising interest rates because of pressure from the White House.

"Not at all. Not at all. And it's very important that the public understand that we are always going to make decisions based on what we think is right for the American people," he said. "We will never, ever take political considerations into effect. This is a strong institution, which has a strong culture, which is as I've described it."