After a midterm night that stripped Republicans of dozens of House seats and several Senate seats, the President sat with a television correspondent and offered a familiar explanation: the voters simply were not him. The story of a leader who believes history will vindicate a costly war, and who concedes his communication may have failed while insisting his judgment held, is an old one in democratic life. Within hours of those words, a change at the center of the White House was announced, leaving the country to wonder whether the reckoning would stay in conversation or move into the rooms whe
Trump Blames Low Turnout, Defends Economy and Iran War After Midterm Losses
"I think it was too tough," the president said of his deportation policies.
Mark
Trump gave two explanations for the losses. Which one is he leaning on?
Mimi
Mostly "I was not on the ballot." He did say voters disliked the war and gas prices, but he returned to turnout and weak candidates.
Luke
Worth noting that's his analysis, not a finding. The exit polls point elsewhere: 63% disapproved of him, and 44% said they voted partly to oppose him.
Mark
And the economy? He called the numbers phenomenal.
Mimi
Three-fourths of voters rated it poor or not so good, and two-thirds said tariffs hurt. His answer was that the message didn't land.
Luke
He cited 401(k) highs, but the reporting doesn't say how many voters hold meaningful accounts. His prediction of noticeable gains in two to four months is a forecast, nothing more.
Mark
He disagreed with Vance only slightly on Iran?
Mimi
Right. He accepts the war was a reason for the losses but says he'd do it again, and that history will vindicate him.
Luke
"History will judge" can't be tested now. What's confirmed is that he says he's not looking to escalate, and that the U.S. struck Iranian targets this week.
Mark
What about Miller replacing Wiles?
Mimi
It's striking next to his admission that deportations were too tough, since Miller is a hardliner on enforcement.
Luke
The source doesn't say what Miller will actually change. Whether policy shifts is unknown.
Der Puls
- Republicans lost more than 40 House seats and at least seven Senate seats, with races still uncalled in places once considered safe.
- Exit polls show most voters rated the economy poorly and two-thirds said tariffs hurt, cutting against the President's claims of phenomenal results.
- The President attributes the defeat to his absence from the ballot and concedes some 'bad messaging,' while insisting the Iran war was the right call.
- An immigration crackdown he calls 'too tough' has pushed Latino voters back toward Democrats, even as he reshapes his staff with a hardliner.
- Within an hour of the interview, the chief of staff departed, and the President signals 'a few changes' ahead, with Iran talks and 2028 succession still unresolved.
After a midterm night that stripped Republicans of dozens of House seats and several Senate seats, the President sat with a television correspondent and offered a familiar explanation: the voters simply were not him. The story of a leader who believes history will vindicate a costly war, and who concedes his communication may have failed while insisting his judgment held, is an old one in democratic life. Within hours of those words, a change at the center of the White House was announced, leaving the country to wonder whether the reckoning would stay in conversation or move into the rooms where power is actually arranged.
Days after Republicans suffered heavy losses in the midterm elections, President Trump sat down with 60 Minutes correspondent Ross Douthat. He defended his economic record and the war with Iran, admitted to some 'bad messaging,' and said his immigration crackdown had at times been 'too tough.' One hour after the interview ended, he announced that chief of staff Susie Wiles would leave and be replaced by Stephen Miller.
The defeat was broad. Republicans lost more than 40 House seats and at least seven Senate seats, some in places Trump had won by double digits. Exit polls found about 63% of midterm voters disapproved of his performance, and many said they voted partly to oppose him.
Trump blamed the results on his absence from the ballot and on voters who did not turn out or disliked the candidates, some of whom were his own picks. On the economy he cited record 401(k)s, while exit polls showed most voters judged conditions poorly and two-thirds said tariffs hurt. He predicted improvement within months as manufacturing jobs return.
On Iran, Vice President Vance had called the war the real reason Republicans lost. Trump brushed that aside, insisted he would strike again, and said history would judge the decision kindly even if today's voters do not. Talks mediated by Qatar continue, and he believes Iran is close to a deal.
On immigration, he gave himself an A+ for border security but acknowledged that deporting workers with good jobs had been a mistake. Then he installed Miller, a hardliner, and said he would like a deal with Democrats. Cabinet changes, including questions about Defense Secretary Hegseth, are the next thing to watch.
Days after Republicans took heavy losses in the midterm elections, President Trump sat down with 60 Minutes correspondent Ross Douthat and defended his record on the economy and the Iran war. He also conceded some "bad messaging" on economic issues and said his immigration crackdown had at times been "too tough." One hour after the interview ended, he announced that White House chief of staff Susie Wiles would leave her post and be replaced by Stephen Miller.
The scale of the losses is clear. Republicans lost more than 40 House seats and at least seven Senate seats on Tuesday, with some races still uncalled, including in places Trump won by double digits two years ago. CBS News exit polling found that about 63% of midterm voters disapproved of his job performance, and 44% said one reason for their vote was to express opposition to him.
Asked to explain the results, Trump said voters "didn't like the war" with Iran or the soaring gas prices it triggered. But he said the main reason was that "I was not on the ballot," a line he has repeated in recent days. He argued his endorsements and rallies brought many candidates closer to victory. Before the election he had urged supporters to "pretend that I'm on the ballot." Asked what went wrong, he said he thinks they "didn't vote," and that in some cases they didn't like the candidates. Some of those candidates were his picks: he backed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over Sen. John Cornyn in a bitter primary, and endorsed Sen. Darline Graham, appointed to her late brother's South Carolina seat. Of Cornyn, Trump said he "would have lost also."
On the economy, Trump called the numbers "phenomenal," citing record 401(k)s. Pressed that not every American has a large retirement account, he said "a lot of people do." Exit polls tell a different story: three-fourths of voters rated the economy poor or not so good, and 70% of them backed Democratic House candidates. Voters cited gasoline, food, utilities and healthcare prices, and two-thirds said his tariffs hurt the economy. Trump said "we couldn't get the word across," blamed "bad messaging, maybe by me," and predicted Americans would notice improvement in two to four months as manufacturing jobs return.
Vice President JD Vance wrote on social media the morning after the election that the "real reason we lost" was the unpopular Iran war. Trump said Vance had told him of the post and he replied, "You write what you want." He said he disagreed with Vance on one point only: asked whether he would attack Iran again, his answer is an "emphatic yes." He argued Iran's conventional military is degraded and its nuclear program set back, and that history will judge the decision well even if today's voters do not. Later in the Oval Office he pointed to a portrait of Ulysses S. Grant, whose reputation has risen over time. Since September the two countries have largely held off major attacks, though the U.S. struck Iranian targets earlier this week. Trump said he believes Iran is close to a deal, that the election gives them "a little bit of a hope certificate," and that he is "not looking to" escalate. Qatar is mediating.
On immigration, Trump said he deserves an "A+" for closing the border and high marks for removing "the bad ones," but said the policy hurt him when it swept up people with good jobs whose only violation was entering illegally. "I think it was too tough," he said. CBS polling shows 58% think his immigration actions have gone too far, and many Latino voters who shifted to him in 2024, including in Texas, moved back to Democrats. Yet he replaced Wiles with Miller, a hardliner associated with enforcement strategy. Trump said he would "love to do something on immigration" with congressional Democrats.
Asked about Forbes reporting that his wealth has soared, he said "so did everyone," and that he devotes "almost no time" to his net worth. He said his stock is in broad indexes and his sons run his company. On firings, he said "I do, yeah. Little bit," and that he'd be "doing maybe a few changes." CBS News reported he has asked aides whether Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth should stay; Trump told 60 Minutes he has confidence in him and called Democratic impeachment calls "very unfair."
On 2028, Trump said he will "probably" endorse a successor, "not necessarily," naming Vance, Rubio and some senators. He also said he plans "tremendous numbers of pardons" before leaving office, and that pardoning himself is "certainly not unreasonable," though he doesn't expect to. Cabinet changes are the next thing to watch.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
I think it was too tough.— President Trump, on his deportation policies, to 60 Minutes
I was not on the ballot.— President Trump, on why Republicans lost
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