Trump's 60 Minutes interview: 15 biggest takeaways, from Iran to immigration to UFOs

Donald Trump has lost the House, the Senate and a string of red-state offices. In the past, that would have meant cries of fraud. This time, in a wide-ranging White House interview aired by CBS's 60 Minutes, he sounded oddly mellow.

He floated a deal with Democrats on immigration, admitted his deportation drive may have gone "too tough", blamed "bad messaging" for voter anger, and then hinted at Cabinet firings. He also talked about UFOs, AI doom, his family's crypto business and the afterlife.

Here are the 15 best moments.

1. It wasn't me, it was the candidates: Trump said he wasn't on the ballot and that his "love" and rally crowds didn't transfer to the candidates the voters didn't like. He added that voters also opposed the war, were unhappy with higher gas prices, and expressed "a great dislike" for Israel.

2. Oh, and the war too: JD Vance publicly blamed the loss on the Iran war. Trump said he didn't disagree, and that when Vance asked what he should write, he told him to write what he felt.

Also read: What Trump’s midterm setback means for India and world | Meera Shankar interview

3. Would he launch the Iran war again? Emphatic "yes": Trump said Iran can't be allowed a nuclear weapon and history will judge the decision well. Is it good for today and tomorrow? "Maybe not."

4. The economy is "phenomenal": He cited record stock markets and blamed the press and his own messaging. Pressed on why Americans aren't buying it, he offered: "We couldn't get the word across."

5. The deportation drive "might be too tough": Trump gave himself an "A+" for closing the border but conceded that taking away hotel maids and landscapers with good jobs hurt him. He wants to strike a deal with Democrats to grant "some kind of legal status" to long-settled workers, while still removing "the killers" and drug dealers.

6. Calling Democrats 'Democrats': Asked whether he could manage six months of not insulting them, he replied that he also calls many of them "Democrats". He also confirmed he sometimes mangles the name of Texas's new Democratic senator, James Talarico.

7. Impeachment 3.0? "I can't imagine it": He recalled that Democrats impeached him twice, suggested it worked to his advantage, and declared these are "the best two years in the history of the presidency."

Also read: Rubio defends Trump’s war in Iran: ‘not necessarily popular but necessary’

8. Firings are coming. "A little bit": Trump said he loves his Cabinet but expects "a few changes". An hour after the interview, chief of staff Susie Wiles was replaced by her deputy, Stephen Miller, architect of the mass-deportation policy. That sits awkwardly with the talk of an immigration deal.

9. Hegseth keeps his job: Asked about calls for the defence secretary to resign, Trump said he has confidence in him. "We've won two wars," he said, including "the war in Venezuela", which he claimed had been won in under an hour.

10. No escalation, and allies will foot the bill: Trump said he has no reason to escalate with Iran, whose nuclear material he described as buried under thousands of tonnes of rock. He said US-protected countries will repay the war's costs, and that Israel "would not exist" without him.

11. Ukraine peace is coming, apparently, thanks to him: Trump blamed "hatred" between Zelensky and Putin, said the war will end soon "because of me", and declined to say which leader he trusts more. He defended easing diesel sanctions on Russia as no big favour.

12. Successor? "Probably. Not necessarily": He praised Marco Rubio, said there's a "tremendous bench", and mused he may be "better off not getting involved". He thinks MAGA survives without him because it's "common sense".

Also read: Trump’s rout holds critical economic lessons for other governments

13. Net worth up $3 billion? No. And the crypto company? He "knows nothing about it": Trump disputed the Forbes figure and quipped he "should have had stock". Regarding World Liberty Financial, which is co-owned by his family and partly backed by investors tied to the UAE, he said his sons run things. He also argued every president faces conflicts of interest.

14. He's an "AI bull", because of China: Trump said Xi Jinping is "all in" on what he prefers to call super intelligence, and whoever wins the race wins. He thinks the doom risk is "not nearly as real" as the builders claim, and he's open to guardrails with Democrats as long as the US isn't left in "a deep second position".

15. "I do hate some of my enemies and I always will": Asked whether he could forgive the likes of James Comey and Nancy Pelosi to enter paradise, Trump said the answer was "no". He hopes he's heading to heaven ("I don't want to go to hell") but said saying otherwise "wouldn't be real".

Bonus: UFOs. Trump said he's "not too much of a believer", but Air Force pilots have told him of a round object passing an F-22 at three times its speed. As for a secret programme even presidents don't know about, he said he'd find out "right after this interview".