President Trump made his return to “60 Minutes” this past Sunday, marking his first interview with the program and CBS News following a legal settlement between the network and himself earlier this year.
During the conversation at his Mar-a-Lago residence, correspondent Norah O’Donnell touched on various topics such as the ongoing government shutdown, foreign policy, and Trump’s controversial actions since resuming office in January.
Here are a few takeaways from the interview.
Trump’s “60 Minutes” Appearance After Lawsuit
This interview was another chapter in Trump’s tense relationship with “60 Minutes.” He brought up the settlement received from the network’s parent company and criticized O’Donnell multiple times.
“The truth is, 60 Minutes paid me a lot of money. I don’t need to be in uncomfortable positions for you. You probably have a great new leader—Bari Weiss, as far as I know,” he said, referencing CBS’s recently appointed editor-in-chief.
When pressed about whether he noticed a decrease in crime in Washington, D.C., he joked, “I don’t want to embarrass her,” after O’Donnell didn’t answer.
This was Trump’s first discussion with CBS since former Vice President Kamala Harris took legal action against them over a “60 Minutes” interview last year. Trump accused the network of intentionally editing her responses about the Gaza conflict for a more consistent narrative, a claim the network denied. Nevertheless, as part of the settlement, Paramount Global agreed to pay $16 million for a future presidential library.
During the previous 2024 campaign, he had canceled a “60 Minutes” interview, citing unfinalized plans, while the show reported inconsistent explanations from the Trump campaign. This comes after his controversial segment with Leslie Stahl in the 2020 campaign, where he walked out over disputes regarding Hunter Biden’s laptop.
Trump Claims China and Russia Conducting Nuclear Tests
Trump discussed the administration’s recent directive to resume nuclear testing, a move that has sparked logistical and safety concerns. He stated that countries like Russia and China are also involved in nuclear weapons testing.
“Russia is conducting a nuclear weapons test. And China is testing too. You just don’t know it,” Trump claimed.
O’Donnell mentioned that while there were signs of nuclear delivery system tests in Russia, actual warhead testing hadn’t occurred. Trump insisted, “Both Russia and China are doing testing, and we just talk openly about it. They don’t have the media that we do.” He expressed that the U.S. would resume testing because other nations are doing so as well. The resumption of U.S. nuclear tests has sparked division among lawmakers, with Republicans often in favor and Democrats raising concerns.
Trump’s Stance on New York City Elections
Air date of the interview fell just days ahead of Election Day, with gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia and a mayoral race in New York City. Trump has been vocal about the New York City race, where Democratic Socialist Zoran Mamdani leads over Republican Curtis Sliwa and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is pursuing a third-party run.
While he hasn’t endorsed any candidate, he implied that he might view Cuomo as the lesser evil compared to Mamdani, stating, “If communists are running New York, I wouldn’t want to waste money helping them.” He added that he wasn’t particularly fond of Cuomo either but might still prefer him over someone he perceives as more extreme.
Trump Offers No Solutions for the Government Shutdown
The interview came as the government shutdown loomed dangerously close to breaking records. Trump did not propose any new solutions but expressed intentions to pressure Democrats into voting to reopen the government.
He remarked, “Republicans have nearly all voted for termination, while Democrats consistently vote against it.” Meanwhile, Democrats have countered with objections against Republican proposals that they argue overhaul funding crucial for Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire soon.
Trump indicated he would address health care issues after the government reopens while clarifying that he wasn’t proposing his own plan. He mentioned that the current health care system is unsatisfactory and too costly for citizens.
Trump Defends ICE Actions and Political Prosecutions
When questioned about controversial actions regarding immigration enforcement and political prosecutions, Trump stood firm. O’Donnell raised concerns about ICE’s tactics, referencing an instance where police used tear gas in a civilian area.
Trump replied that he felt ICE hadn’t gone far enough, attributing limitations to liberal judges appointed by Biden and Obama. When asked if he supported such tactics, he affirmed the need to enforce immigration laws.
The discussion turned to the indictments of notable figures like James Comey and Letitia James, drawing concern over potential political motivations. Trump described the situation as the “inverse” of retaliation and defended his actions as necessary for his campaign’s integrity, asserting, “They went after me to hinder my presidential run.”
