Trump blames midterm loss on not being on the ballot and calls deportations too harsh

The interview and the defeat

Donald Trump gave his first extended interview since the 3 November midterm elections to Ross Douthat of CBS News, broadcast on the evening of 8 November on 60 Minutes. Republicans lost more than 40 seats in the House of Representatives and at least seven in the Senate, and they lost control of both chambers. Some races had not been finalised when the reports were filed, and the losses included districts Trump had carried by double digits two years earlier.

CBS News exit polls found that about 63% of voters disapproved of Trump's overall record and his time in office, and 44% said opposition to him was one of the reasons for their vote.

Asked to explain the defeat, Trump said voters did not like the war with Iran or the rising price of gasoline. He insisted that the main reason was that he was not on the ballot, a explanation he has repeated several times in recent days. He argued that his campaign rallies and endorsements brought many Republican candidates much closer to winning. Before polling day he had often urged supporters to act as if he were on the ballot.

Deportations and immigration

Trump acknowledged that his campaign against migrants living in the country without legal papers may have been too harsh. He said the policy had both helped and hurt Republicans at the polls. He claimed he deserved an A+ for closing the border, but said the removal of people who had good jobs and had entered the country illegally was a political cost. He said he would like to work with Democrats on immigration, without giving details of what such a deal would contain.

The Department of Homeland Security has said that Immigration and Customs Enforcement will not slow its operations, a position the BBC has set against Trump's remarks. According to CNN, Trump had privately voiced reservations about some of the methods used in arrest and removal operations. The administration has not announced any formal change in policy in response to his comments.

Iran war, gas prices and voter anger

Trump defended the war with Iran and said he does not regret launching it, even though he accepted that the conflict carried a heavy political cost. He said voters disliked the war and the increase in gasoline prices, which he claimed he had kept low before they rose. He also asserted that there is a strong antipathy toward Israel among American voters, a claim he presented as surprising.

Disapproved of Trump's overall record63%

Said opposition to Trump was a reason for their vote44%

Disapproved of Trump's overall record

63 %

Said opposition to Trump was a reason for their vote

44 %

Data from the article text

Trump maintained that the American economy is performing exceptionally well, but conceded that his administration had failed to persuade citizens of that. He blamed the news media for not reporting the positive stories about Republicans. Asked what the central problem was with the party's communications strategy, he said that they had not managed to get their message across.

Staff changes and succession

About an hour after the interview, Trump announced that Susie Wiles is leaving her post as White House chief of staff and that Stephen Miller will take over the role. Miller has been described as the architect of the administration's hardline immigration agenda, and his appointment does not signal a retreat from that strategy. The interview had already hinted that senior officials could depart.

Trump also distanced himself from JD Vance, the vice president widely seen as a likely political successor, and declined to give Vance his endorsement for the 2028 presidential race. He said there are people he hates and will continue to hate, and that he will not forgive some of his political opponents.

Ukraine and the future of MAGA

Trump said that the Make America Great Again movement can continue without him, arguing that its core message of strong borders and a strong military is essentially common sense. He sounded optimistic about ending the war in Ukraine, leaving open the possibility that Kyiv may have to give up territory to reach a peace deal with Russia. Trump's remarks on the interview are the first detailed account of his thinking since the defeat, and the next steps on staffing and policy have not yet been set out.