Trump’s 60 Minutes Interview: A Mixture of Denial and Contradiction on GOP Losses

Trump explains the losses

Douthat asked Trump to assess Republicans’ losses. Trump said he had not been on the ballot, but argued the outcome might have changed if he had been. He pointed to his rallies and said voters had to transfer their support to candidates they did not like.

Trump also cited opposition to the war, rising gasoline prices and what he described as strong dislike of Israel. Vance had separately written that Republicans needed to end the war, address living costs and inflation, put America first and change the country’s relationship with Israel.

Trump responds to Vance

Asked whether he agreed with Vance’s analysis, Trump said he did not disagree. He added that he had told Vance to write what he wanted. Trump said he wished Vance had addressed whether he would make the same decision again. Trump defended his position that Iran should not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon, saying he believed the decision would prove beneficial over time.

Economy and public perception

Douthat noted that polls showed Americans were unhappy with the economy and asked whether cost-of-living concerns were tied to the Iran war. Trump said the economic figures were strong and described the problem as bad messaging, possibly from him.

Trump said the press did not cover positive news for Republicans or for him, and that he needed to communicate it himself. Asked what the messaging problem was, he replied that they had not gotten the word across.

A possible future endorsement

Douthat asked whether Trump would endorse a Republican nominee in two years. Trump said he probably would, but not necessarily, and described the party as having a strong bench.

Trump named Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as possible options, along with unnamed senators. He said he might get involved in the process, but might be better off staying out of it.