60 Minutes Transcript: Donald Trump, the 2026 post-midterm elections interview

Key Points:

• President Donald Trump reflected on the Republican Party’s significant midterm losses, attributing defeats partly to unpopular candidates, the Iran war, rising gasoline prices, and a divided electorate on immigration policies.
• Trump expressed willingness to work with the new Democratic majority on immigration reform, suggesting a potential deal to legalize long-term undocumented workers, despite recent cabinet changes signaling a tougher stance.
• On foreign policy, Trump claimed credit for preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, defended Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and discussed ongoing efforts to broker peace in Ukraine, emphasizing his belief that the war would not have started under his presidency.
• Trump addressed concerns about conflicts of interest related to his family’s business dealings, asserting limited personal involvement and comparing such issues to those faced by past presidents, while downplaying accusations of corruption.
• On emerging technologies, Trump identified artificial intelligence as a critical area of competition with China, supporting cautious development with guardrails, and shared skepticism about UFOs while acknowledging intriguing reports from military pilots.
• When questioned about mortality and forgiveness, Trump candidly admitted he struggles to forgive certain political opponents, reflecting on his religious beliefs and personal experiences with political adversaries.