Days after Republicans faced a series of bruising midterm election losses, President Trump stood by his handling of the economy and the Iran war — but he acknowledged some "bad messaging" on economic issues and said his immigration crackdown was "too tough" at times.
asserted
crackdown → face → times
In a sitdown with 60 Minutes correspondent Ross Douthat, the president also suggested some top administration officials could be on their way out.
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officials → suggest → way
One hour later, he announced White House chief of staff Susie Wiles would depart her role and be replaced by Stephen Miller.
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Wiles → announce → Miller
Here are the biggest takeaways from the interview:
Why did Republicans lose?
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Republicans → lose → interview
Republicans lost more than 40 House seats and at least seven Senate seats on Tuesday, with some races still uncalled, including in places that Mr. Trump won by double-digit margins two years ago.
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Trump → lose → margins
About 63% of midterm voters disapproved of Mr. Trump's job performance, and 44% said one reason for their vote was to express opposition to him, according to CBS News exit polling.
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reason → disapprove → polling
Asked for his analysis of the midterm losses, Mr. Trump told 60 Minutes that voters "didn't like the war" with Iran or the soaring gas prices that it triggered.
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it → ask → that
But he said he believes the primary reason for Republicans' losses was that "I was not on the ballot," an explanation he has offered several times in recent days.
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he → say → days
He suggested his pre-election endorsements and rallies "brought a lot of people … a lot closer to victory."
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endorsements → suggest → victory
Ahead of Election Day, the president frequently urged his supporters to "pretend that I'm on the ballot."
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I → urge → ballot
So, what happened?
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what → happen → ?
"I think they didn't vote, really.
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they → think → ?
I think they didn't vote.
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they → think → ?
I think in some cases, they didn't like the candidates.
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they → think → candidates
And that's, you know, their prerogative," he said.
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he → know → ?
Some of the candidates were picked by the president.
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Some → pick → president
He
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the Lone Star State's bitter GOP Senate primary, and he endorsed Sen. Darline Graham, who was appointed to fill her late brother's South Carolina Senate seat — her to run for a full term.
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her → endorse → term
Mr. Trump argued that "Cornyn would have lost also."
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Cornyn → argue → ?
Economic performance has been "phenomenal," but "we couldn't get the word across"
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we → get → word
The president defended his stewardship of the economy in his 60 Minutes sitdown, which came hours after a
.
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which → defend → a
He said "the numbers are phenomenal.
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numbers → say → ?
""We're doing numbers that have never been done before.
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that → do → numbers
401(k)s have made people rich," the president said.
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president → make → ?
Pressed on the fact that not all Americans have large retirement accounts, Mr. Trump responded: "But a lot of people do."
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lot → press → people
But exit polling shows three-fourths of midterm voters viewed the condition of the economy as either poor or not so good — and 70% of that group voted for Democratic House candidates.
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% → show → candidates
Voters were especially concerned about prices of gasoline, food, utilities and healthcare, and two-thirds of voters believed that Mr. Trump's tariff policies hurt the country's economy.
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policies → believe → economy
Mr. Trump said the problem is that "we couldn't get the word across."
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we → say → word
"I think it was bad messaging, maybe by me, but I would talk about it all the time.
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I → think → it
So I don't know, how much can I talk about it?" the president said.
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president → know → it
He predicted that Americans are "going to notice it in the next two, three, four months," arguing that his policies will lead to a resurgence of manufacturing jobs.
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policies → predict → jobs
"I'm not looking to" escalate Iran war
The morning after the election, Vice President JD Vance argued on social media "the real reason we lost is obvious to almost everyone" — the broadly unpopular Iran war."
Mr. Trump said Vance told him about his plan to write that post, and he responded: "You write what you want."
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you → look → what
The president said "I don't disagree" with the vice president's diagnosis for why the Republicans lost the midterms, "other than one thing."
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Republicans → say → thing
"The one thing he left out is — that I would say, and maybe he wouldn't say it, I don't know.
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I → leave → it
I've never asked him really.
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I → ask → him
But, if you had … to do again, would you do it?
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you → have → it
Would you go and attack Iran?" he said.
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he → go → Iran
The president said his answer to that question is an "emphatic yes," arguing Iran's conventional military has been degraded and its nuclear program has been set back.
"
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program → say → question
I think historically, this will be a very good decision.
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this → think → ?
But … I have to go with what's right for our country," he said.
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he → have → country
"If they had a nuclear weapon during my term, I would be excoriated far worse than what's happened."
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what → have → term
…and 90 more, not listed.
The Aporia
