O'Donnell has covered the Bush Administration, Congress, and several presidential campaigns, to include most recently John McCain's in 2008. In 2016, she was the first to report live on television that Hillary Clinton has called Donald Trump over the phone to concede the presidential election. During the Iraq war, she was embedded with the 3rd Infantry Division, stationed in Baghdad and Qatar. In addition, O'Donnell has reported a wide variety of events, including the September 11 attacks, the space shuttle Columbia disaster, the Oklahoma City bombing, and the O.J. Simpson trial. O'Donnell reported on the travels and death of Pope John Paul II. She also covered both summer and winter Olympic games.