US President Donald Trump said that the Republican Party had lost the midterm elections mainly because he himself had not been on the ballot. In an interview with “60 Minutes,” he also pointed to the unpopular war with Iran and rising gas prices as reasons for the defeat.
Republicans lost more than 40 seats in the House of Representatives and at least seven seats in the Senate, with some results still not officially announced. According to a CBS News exit poll, around 63% of voters disapprove of Trump’s job performance, while 44% said they had also voted to express their opposition to the president.
“I think they didn’t vote. In some places, they didn’t like the candidates, and that is their right,” Trump said. He defended his own campaign interventions and said that his endorsements and rallies had brought many candidates close to victory. According to him, former Senator John Cornyn would also have lost the race in Texas, regardless of the support Trump had given Ken Paxton.
President acknowledges “bad messaging” on the economy
Trump described the economic results as “phenomenal” and pointed to record levels of retirement savings in 401(k) plans. Asked about Americans who do not have large retirement accounts, he replied: “But a lot of people do.”
Exit poll data showed a different picture. Three-quarters of voters rated the economy as poor or unsatisfactory, and 70% of that group supported Democratic candidates for the House of Representatives. The most serious concerns were related to gas prices, food, utilities and healthcare. Two-thirds of voters said that Trump’s tariffs were harming the economy.
“I think the problem was bad messaging, perhaps from me as well,” the president said. He predicted that Americans would feel the results of his policies over the next “two, three, four months,” including through the restoration of manufacturing jobs.
Trump does not plan a new escalation with Iran
The president said he did not regret the military operation against Iran and would make the same decision again. He defended the view that Iran’s conventional military capabilities had been weakened and that the country’s nuclear program had been set back.
Asked whether he planned to escalate the conflict after the election, Trump replied: “I’m not looking for that. I don’t think there’s a reason.” He also said that he believed Iran was close to a deal, with diplomatic efforts between the two countries being mediated by Qatar.
Admission regarding his tough immigration policy
Trump said that his immigration policy had both helped and hurt him. According to the exit poll, 58% of voters believe that the administration’s actions had gone too far.
“I think it was too harsh,” the president said of his deportation policy. He specified that he had received high marks for closing the border and removing people he considers dangerous, but had lost support because of cases involving people who had worked, paid taxes and broken the law only by entering the country illegally.
An hour after the interview, Trump announced that Susie Wiles was leaving her position as White House chief of staff and that Stephen Miller would replace her. During the conversation, the president had already hinted that he would make “several changes” in the administration after the election defeat.
Pardons, the 2028 election and political enemies
Trump said he intended to issue an “enormous number” of pardons before the end of his term. He said he did not expect to pardon himself, but described such a possibility as “certainly unwise.”
The president said he would likely support a candidate for the Republican nomination in 2028, but had not made a final decision. Potential successors include Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
At the end of the interview, Trump was asked whether he would forgive his political enemies. “The answer is no,” he said, adding that he hated some of them and always would.
Sources: cbsnews.com