10 takeaways from Trump’s 60 Minutes interview: Why GOP lost the midterms, what went wrong on immigration and more

November 8, 2026 / 7:00 PM EST / CBS News

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.

In a sitdown with 60 Minutes correspondent Ross Douthat, the president also suggested some top administration officials could be on their way out. One hour later, he announced White House chief of staff Susie Wiles would depart her role and be replaced by Stephen Miller.

Here are the biggest takeaways from the 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. 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.

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.

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/moneywatch/