Trump says he hopes for heaven and rules out forgiving rivals in CBS interview

Donald Trump gave his first interview since the Republican midterm defeat to Ross Douthat of CBS's 60 Minutes, which aired on Sunday, 8 November. Asked what he thought happens when he dies, the president said he hoped he would be missed. He then said that as a religious person he would, in theory, go to heaven. Asked whether he expected to get there, he replied that he hoped so.

“I hope so. I don't want to go to hell.”

Refusing to forgive rivals

Douthat then raised a memorial for Charlie Kirk, the murdered Turning Point USA founder, where Trump had said of his opponents:

“I hate my opponents and I don't want the best for them.”

Douthat acknowledged that the president had been joking, observing that 'facts come through jokes', and Trump agreed. Asked whether he could feel love and forgiveness toward figures such as former FBI director James Comey and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi if that were required for heaven, Trump said the answer was no. He added that he probably could not forgive some of his enemies and would always hate some of them.

Midterms, Iran and immigration

Trump conceded that inflation and high gas prices caused by his war with Iran had played a part in the defeat, but otherwise blamed the media, his own candidates and voters who did not turn out in sufficient numbers. He agreed with Vice President JD Vance that the unpopular Iran conflict had cost Republicans support. He insisted the economy was in 'phenomenal' shape and said the problem had been messaging. On immigration he acknowledged that the mass deportation of people without criminal records had hurt his party, especially among residents who have lived in the country for ten or fifteen years, hold steady jobs in hotels or gardening and pay taxes. He proposed a deal with the Democrats who now hold new majorities in Congress: deport criminals while giving long-term workers a path to stay, which he said was feasible. He gave his own handling of the southern border an A+ and did not say whether he would change his approach to deportations.

Personnel moves and Hegseth

Tages Anzeiger reports that Susie Wiles, Trump's chief of staff until then, was pushed out about an hour after the interview was recorded, and that Stephen Miller took over running the White House. Miller is described as the strategist behind the hardline immigration policy Trump had just called too harsh. Notícias ao Minuto instead dates a promotion of Miller to two days before the interview, which does not match the Tages Anzeiger account. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces calls to resign after the defeat. Trump backed him, said the administration had fought two wars and won both, and rejected impeachment calls from Democrats as very unfair.

Comey prosecution

Stern.de reports that Comey is accused of knowingly spreading a death threat against Trump through a photo of seashells arranged as '86' and '47'. The outlet notes that US prosecutors have brought several cases against Comey during Trump's second term, and that these have so far struggled in court. Merriam-Webster describes '86' as an old term meaning sold out in a restaurant, with later senses including 'get rid of' and, rarely, 'kill'.