Trump's 60 Minutes interview analyzed
The gist
Trump told 60 Minutes Republicans lost the midterms over "bad messaging" and "I was not on the ballot."
An unedited version suggested the broadcast cut some of his false claims.
How it unfolded
- Nov 3, 2026Republicans lost more than 40 House seats and at least seven Senate seats in the midterms, with some races still uncalled; about 63% of midterm voters disapproved of Trump's job performance, per CBS News exit polling.
- Nov 6, 2026Trump sat down with 60 Minutes correspondent Ross Douthat for his first interview since the losses; it was recorded several hours before he announced he would replace White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles with Stephen Miller.
- Nov 8, 2026The interview aired on Sunday, hours after a stronger-than-expected jobs report; the White House cited 165,000 new jobs in October.
Key terms
- midterms
- US general elections held near the midpoint of a president's four-year term, when all House seats and about a third of Senate seats are contested.
- House seats
- The lower chamber of the bicameral United States Congress, which shares federal legislative power with the Senate.
- Senate seats
- The upper chamber of the bicameral United States Congress, which shares federal legislative power with the House.
Source: Wikipedia