In his first sit-down interview because the midterm elections that noticed Democrats retake management of each the Home and Senate, President Donald Trump blamed Republicans’ poor displaying on “unhealthy messaging” — primarily not correctly conveying to American voters the entire accomplishments of his second time period.
However in his recounting of occasions, Trump repeatedly twisted the information on the economic system, immigration, gasoline costs, sanctions on Russia, crime and the explanations for the dramatic rise in his web price throughout his presidency.
- Pressed on whether or not his enterprise ventures posed a battle of curiosity, Trump falsely claimed the dramatic enhance in his web price since being reelected was because of the inventory market’s rise, and he made different false or deceptive claims.
- Trump mentioned the inventory market “misplaced virtually 2,000 factors due to the Democrats’” sweeping victories within the midterms. The inventory market has been unstable within the days after the election, however the Dow Jones was a bit of greater on the shut on Nov. 9 than it was on Election Day. The S&P 500 is down barely, lower than 0.3%.
- The president mentioned there are individuals on the “fairly far proper that would love everyone taken out” — referring to the deportation of all immigrants within the nation illegally, even when they haven’t damaged the regulation in any other case. However deporting everybody has been Trump’s said place for years.
- Trump claimed that he “didn’t raise diesel sanctions” on Russia. However his administration issued a brief license in October that exempted imports of Russian diesel gas from sanctions.
- Trump falsely claimed that he had introduced gasoline under $2 per gallon in Iowa earlier than the battle with Iran.
- Requested about Individuals’ views on the economic system, notably issues about inflation, Trump mentioned that “now we have traditionally good numbers” and pivoted to speaking concerning the inventory market. Some financial metrics are certainly traditionally good, such because the low unemployment price. However inflation has gone up below Trump.
- The president misrepresented the polls and ultimate margin within the Ohio Senate race, in claiming he boosted Republican Sen. Jon Husted’s probabilities.
- Trump appeared to inflate the lower in whole crime in Washington, D.C., and he wrongly mentioned that “we haven’t had a homicide in a very long time” within the metropolis.
The president’s interview with Ross Douthat of CBS Information’ “60 Minutes” was conducted on Nov. 6, and aired two days later.
Enterprise Ventures and Web Price
In a single prolonged trade, Douthat pressed Trump on his web price skyrocketing whereas in workplace and whether or not his enterprise ventures represented conflicts of curiosity. Trump made a number of false or deceptive statements in response.
Inventory market positive factors: Douthat introduced up a Forbes story estimating Trump’s web price had elevated by roughly $3 billion since his reelection in 2024.
“Properly, so did everybody,” Trump responded, telling Douthat he “ought to’ve had inventory” when the journalist mentioned “my web price didn’t go up by $3 billion.”
It’s true that the inventory market is greater than when Trump took workplace in January 2025. However that’s not the primary supply of the rise in his web price.
The New York Instances reported in June, primarily based on Trump’s monetary disclosure varieties, that he made a minimum of $2.2 billion that 12 months. About $1.4 billion of that got here from his household’s cryptocurrency ventures, and extra income got here from offers licensing his title and different sources.
Trump’s investments in monetary markets additionally elevated in worth, the Instances reported, however that wasn’t the primary motive his wealth shot up.
Presidential wage: Trump falsely asserted that he’s the one American president to forego his annual wage of $400,000 and donate it as an alternative.
“I don’t take a wage,” he mentioned, including that “each different president took their wage.” At one level he mentioned that was “supposedly” the case. “I don’t know if that’s proper.”
He’s made this boast before, nevertheless it’s unfaithful. Presidents Herbert Hoover and John F. Kennedy, each of whom have been independently rich, did the identical, Thomas F. Schwartz, director of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library, wrote in 2016.
Comparability to previous presidents: Historians have mentioned Trump’s enterprise entanglements are unprecedented. However within the “60 Minutes” interview, he claimed his scenario isn’t any completely different than what previous presidents did.
This got here in response to Douthat urgent Trump on whether or not his stake in World Liberty Monetary, a cryptocurrency firm he co-owns together with his sons, poses a battle of curiosity. The Wall Road Journal reported earlier this 12 months that an organization linked to the federal government of the United Arab Emirates paid $500 million for a 49% stake in World Liberty Monetary in January 2025.
“Each president has not owned a cryptocurrency firm,” Douthat mentioned.
“Properly, however — however they personal one thing, no matter crypto was on the time, okay?” Trump mentioned. “You already know, there’s crypto and earlier than that there was oil and the — and each president has had this drawback.”
Presidential historians told the New York Instances, nevertheless, that no different president has launched new enterprise ventures shortly earlier than taking workplace after which continued to revenue from them whereas main the nation. They famous that different fashionable presidents, against this, had sought to attenuate potential conflicts of curiosity by promoting off stakes in companies or inserting them below impartial administration.
A White Home spokesperson advised the Instances that “President Trump solely acts in the very best pursuits of the American public.”
Obama-Netflix deal: In claiming that his predecessors additionally profited from enterprise offers whereas in workplace, Trump mentioned Barack Obama “received $100 million from Netflix … throughout his presidency.”
That is false. Barack and Michelle Obama signed a content-production take care of Netflix in 2018, greater than a 12 months after leaving the White Home. (The worth of the deal was not publicly introduced; CNN, citing nameless sources, reported it was a “excessive 8-figure deal.”)
Inventory Market
Trump mentioned the inventory market has plummeted because of the Democratic victories within the midterms. The inventory market has been unstable within the days after the election, however the Dow Jones was a bit of greater on the shut on Nov. 9 than it was on Election Day. The S&P 500 is down barely, lower than 0.3%.
“The market misplaced virtually 2,000 factors due to the Democrats,” Trump said. “They received in. And the world mentioned, ‘I don’t wish to make investments with these individuals’ as a result of they appear what occurred in France, they appear what occurred in Italy and all around the world. And so they say, ‘This is identical ideology.’”
Trump is referring to a steep drop within the inventory market on the Thursday after the election. However he’s ignoring the positive factors on the day after the election. The market has additionally rebounded some since that massive drop, although that largely got here after “60 Minutes” performed the interview.
The inventory market has been on a little bit of a curler coaster since Election Day. The day after the election, when it was clear Democrats had seized management of each the Home and Senate, the Dow Jones Industrial Common — which tracks 30 of the nation’s largest firms — leapt up 3%. However then the subsequent day, all these positive factors have been misplaced, after which some, with a drop of three.4%. Since then, the Dow Jones has risen some, and on the shut of the market on Nov. 9 was about 1.2% greater than it was on Election Day.
The S&P 500, which is made up of 500 large-cap firms, adopted a equally bumpy path, gaining 1.6% the day after the election earlier than shedding 4.4% the next day. It has risen a bit since then, and closed the day on Nov. 9 lower than 0.3% decrease than the place it was on Election Day.
“The speedy post-election rally has run its course,” David Kelly, chief international strategist and head of the worldwide market insights technique group for J.P. Morgan Asset Administration, said in a bit posted Nov. 9. “Folks are actually specializing in the issues they have been involved about beforehand, such because the financing of the AI buildout.”
“I wouldn’t make an excessive amount of of the sell-off,” Kelly mentioned. “It is a hangover from the large post-election rally.”
Trump additionally boasted concerning the inventory market’s efficiency since taking workplace for a second time period, and mentioned it has outperformed previous presidents.
“We’re doing numbers which have by no means been accomplished earlier than,” Trump mentioned. “401(okay)s are at their all-time excessive by lots. Below different presidents, they have been a catastrophe. 401(okay)s have made individuals wealthy. And for some motive — bear in mind throughout rallies I’d say, ‘Please have a look at your 401(okay) earlier than you go to vote.’”
The inventory market has accomplished nicely below Trump. The S&P, with dividends, grew 17.78% final 12 months. It’s up 11.24% with dividends reinvested this 12 months to date. However the efficiency below latest previous presidents has hardly been “a catastrophe,” as Trump mentioned.
The average yearly S&P 500 return, with dividends, below President Joe Biden was 15.34%. It was 16.65% throughout Trump’s first time period, and 14.7% below President Barack Obama.
Deportation Coverage
Trump mentioned his deportation coverage “is perhaps too powerful” and that he was open to discussing a bipartisan immigration invoice that may grant many immigrants within the nation illegally a pathway to citizenship. However he mentioned there was a bunch on the “fairly far proper that would love everyone taken out.”
Whereas Trump described that as a “fairly far proper” faction of the White Home, Trump has on quite a few events mentioned his intention was to deport all immigrants dwelling within the nation illegally.
That was Trump’s coverage when he ran for president the primary time in 2016, saying throughout a Feb. 25, 2016, Republican debate, “We now have a minimum of 11 million individuals on this nation that got here in illegally. They may exit.” Trump reiterated that aim in remarks to reporters on June 22, 2019: “All people that got here into the nation illegally might be introduced overseas very legally.”
On Dec. 8, 2024, round a month after successful the presidency for the second time, Trump was asked by Kristen Welker of NBC’s “Meet the Press” whether or not he deliberate to deport everybody within the nation illegally over the subsequent 4 years.
“Properly, I believe it’s important to do it … you may have guidelines, laws, legal guidelines,” Trump mentioned. “They got here in illegally. You already know the individuals which were handled very unfairly are the individuals which were on line for 10 years to return into the nation.”
Trump has caught by that plan since taking workplace for a second time.
“Those that are right here illegally ought to both self deport utilizing the CBP Dwelling App or, ICE will discover you and take away you,” Trump wrote on Reality Social on June 12, 2025.
In a November 2025 interview on CBS’ “60 Minutes,” Norah O’Donnell requested, “Is it your intent to deport individuals who should not have a felony report?”
Trump answered: “We now have to begin off with a coverage, and the coverage needs to be you got here into the nation illegally, you’re going to exit.”
Throughout his “60 Minutes” interview this week, Trump opined that his immigration coverage had each “helped and damage” the GOP within the midterm elections, and he repeated a number of inaccurate immigration statistics.
“I believe I received an A+ for closing up the border as a result of we had 25 million individuals are available via Biden over a four-year interval,” Trump mentioned, claiming that “many” have been from prisons and psychological establishments. “You had 11,888 murderers, most of whom, greater than half of whom, dedicated a couple of homicide,” he mentioned. “We’ve gotten most of them out.” Trump then mentioned that “within the final 17 months … zero individuals got here in via our southern border.”
The 25 million migrants Trump alleged to have are available illegally throughout Biden’s presidency is highly inflated. Trump has by no means supplied proof that international locations emptied their prisons and psychological establishments and despatched them to the U.S. The 11,888 murderers declare refers back to the variety of noncitizens within the U.S. — together with these with authorized standing — who had been convicted of homicide however weren’t in ICE custody as of September 2024. Many have been in jail, in accordance with the Division of Homeland Safety.
And as we have written, the Trump administration now not briefly releases immigrants caught on the border into the U.S. whereas they apply, for instance, for asylum. But it surely’s not correct that “zero individuals” have come via the border illegally. About 5,000 to 10,000 migrants have been apprehended by Border Patrol brokers making an attempt to illegally cross into the U.S. each month of Trump’s second time period. And CBP has acknowledged there have been 1000’s of so-called gotaways, immigrants who have been detected by way of digital surveillance crossing the border however who evaded apprehension.
Trump went on to say that what damage the GOP within the midterms on immigration is that “we additionally took folks that had good jobs, that — that created one violation, or breaking of the regulation, and that was that they got here into the nation illegally.” Trump mentioned of his deportation coverage, “I believe it is perhaps too powerful.”
As we have written, along with elevated border enforcement, the Trump administration dramatically elevated inside enforcement and deportations. Based on publicly obtainable Immigration and Customs Enforcement data, the common day by day inhabitants of these detained by ICE over the last three months ending in July is up 272% in contrast with the final three months below Biden.
And regardless of Trump’s repeated assurances that his administration is targeted on the “worst of the worst” ICE is arresting a larger proportion of people that have neither felony convictions nor pending felony costs. Within the final three months of the Biden administration, 6% of these arrested had neither felony convictions nor pending costs. Against this, over the three months ending in July, the newest information obtainable, that determine climbed to 34%.
Lifting Diesel Sanctions
Trump denied eradicating fuel-related sanctions on Russia when Douthat challenged the president’s declare that “there’s been no one that’s been harder on Russia” than Trump.
“However only in the near past you lifted diesel sanctions on Russia. Like, you’ve accomplished varied issues to take strain off Russia,” Douthat mentioned. Trump’s response was, “I didn’t raise diesel sanctions. I made it doable for Russia to present, not us, however to the world — 1000’s and 1000’s of barrels of oil, of diesel, which it wanted. Didn’t do any massive favor.”
However on Oct. 9, the Treasury Division’s Workplace of Overseas Property Management issued a brief license that exempted “all transactions … associated to the sale, supply, offloading, or importation … of diesel gas of Russian Federation origin” that have been beforehand prohibited by the “Russian Dangerous Overseas Actions Sanctions Rules, 31 CFR half 587, or the Ukraine-/Russia-Associated Sanctions Rules, 31 CFR half 589.” The license says the exemptions are in impact till April.
The identical day the license was issued Trump announced a take care of Russian President Vladimir Putin for Russia to launch Russian diesel gas to U.S. and international markets. Trump mentioned the deal referred to as for greater than 300,000 metric tons to be launched instantly, adopted by 500,000 metric tons in November and 1 million tons “instantly thereafter.”
He mentioned the aim of the take care of Russia was to decrease U.S. diesel costs, which had elevated due to the Iran battle — though some power consultants and analysts said the quantity of diesel to be launched would doubtless have little influence on gas markets and costs.
Trump additionally signed an executive order on Oct. 16 that waived sanctions and tariffs that have been included within the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. The manager order says: “I’m hereby waiving the applying of such sanctions, restrictions, and duties supplied for within the Graham Act. I’ve submitted to the Congress a certification that the issuance of such a waiver at the moment is within the nationwide pursuits of america.”
The Graham Act, which Trump signed into regulation in September, targeted Russia’s economic system by inserting sanctions on its authorities and sure people and entities, in addition to imposing new tariffs on sure international locations that import Russian crude oil, different petroleum merchandise and pure gasoline. Provisions within the Graham Act had been scheduled to enter impact on Oct. 18, 30 days after the laws turned regulation.
Scott R. Anderson, a senior editor at Lawfare and normal counsel of the Lawfare Institute, famous in an Oct. 15 piece that focusing the non permanent Treasury license on diesel gas, which he mentioned wouldn’t be included within the Graham Act’s definition of crude oil, “permits the Trump administration to argue that it isn’t urging international locations to behave opposite to the letter of these Graham act provisions it’s required to implement.” He mentioned, “Whether or not Trump’s actions are according to the spirit of that regulation, nevertheless, presents a a lot tougher query.”
Gasoline Costs
In explaining the midterm outcome, Trump pointed to the Iran battle driving gasoline costs greater. However he misrepresented how low gasoline costs had been earlier than the battle.
“They didn’t like the truth that gasoline went up, as a result of I had it down at a low,” Trump mentioned. “In Iowa, it was $1.85 a gallon, $1.85 a gallon. And whenever you have a look at $1.85 and also you go as much as three-and-a-half, 4 {dollars} — nonetheless decrease than Biden, decrease than Obama — however the battle was blamed for that.”
It’s true that gasoline costs have spiked because the U.S. started airstrikes on Iran in late February. However they weren’t as little as Trump claimed earlier than the battle.
The typical value of a gallon of normal gasoline within the Midwest was $2.68 the week ending February 23, simply earlier than the battle’s begin, in accordance with data from the U.S. Vitality Info Administration, which tracks gasoline costs by area. The bottom it has gone throughout Trump’s second time period is $2.59, within the week ending Jan. 5.
The EIA doesn’t report information for Iowa particularly. However in accordance with information supplied to us by AAA, the most cost effective common worth for a gallon of gasoline in Iowa throughout Trump’s second time period to date was $2.32 per gallon on Jan. 5, and it was $2.64 on Feb. 28, the day the U.S. started airstrikes on Iran. (A spokesperson for AAA famous that since gasoline stations set their very own costs, they will’t rule out that some gasoline station, someplace in Iowa, may have been promoting gasoline for $1.85.)
Trump additionally claimed gasoline costs immediately are “nonetheless decrease than” these below Presidents Biden and Obama. The fee per gallon nationally averaged $4 the week ending Nov. 9, and has ranged from $3.78 to $4.50 since early April, in accordance with the EIA.
That’s nonetheless cheaper than the height below Biden — which crested at round $5 in 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — although gasoline costs subsequently got here down, averaging $3.30 per gallon throughout Biden’s ultimate 12 months in workplace.
Costs below Obama ranged from a excessive of $3.97 per gallon in Could 2011 to a low of $1.72 in February 2016, in accordance with the EIA, and averaged $2.14 in his ultimate 12 months in workplace.
We requested the White Home the place the $1.85 determine comes from and didn’t get a response. Final 12 months, Trump falsely claimed gasoline was under $2 a gallon, primarily based on the worth of an unfinished gasoline product that’s blended with different substances to provide completed gasoline. As we wrote on the time, that worth doesn’t replicate what drivers pay on the pump.
Financial Numbers
When Douthat requested the president about polls displaying that Individuals are “sad with this economic system,” particularly “value of dwelling, inflation,” Trump responded that “now we have traditionally good numbers.” He added, “We now have the very best inventory market in historical past.”
Some financial metrics are good, by historic requirements, such because the unemployment price, and the inventory market has carried out nicely (see the part on this article on the inventory market). However Trump sidestepped the point out of inflation. We’ll undergo the numbers.
Job numbers. Within the interview, Trump highlighted the October jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which confirmed 165,000 jobs created, “excellent job numbers,” as Douthat mentioned. The unemployment rate dipped down simply 0.1 proportion factors final month, to 4.1%. That’s under the median price for all months since 1948, which is 5.4%. But it surely’s a contact greater than the 4.0% unemployment price in January 2025 when Trump took workplace.
The job growth over Trump’s 21 months in workplace has been sluggish general. October’s stable numbers got here after slower progress in September, and the nation has skilled a web lack of jobs in six months below Trump’s second time period. The 1,025,000 jobs created to date lag behind the two,613,000 jobs created over the prior 21 months.
Later within the interview, Trump mentioned, “We now have extra jobs created than ever earlier than in historical past,” a model of his talking point that “extra Individuals are working immediately than at any time within the historical past of our nation.” Whereas the latter model is right, the statistic is largely meaningless. The overall variety of individuals employed sometimes goes up because the inhabitants additionally grows, except the nation is in a recession.
Gross home product. Economists’ most popular measure for the economic system is actual (inflation-adjusted) gross home product, which has been regular below Trump, notably this 12 months. Actual GDP progress was 2.3% in 2025. For the primary three quarters of this 12 months, the economic system grew at an annualized price of two.5%, 2.2% and three.4%, in accordance with estimates from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. For context, courting again to the Reagan administration, actual financial progress has exceeded 3% yearly 17 instances.
Inflation. The president didn’t discuss inflation, which has change into worse below his time period. Within the 12 months earlier than Trump took workplace, the Client Value Index, essentially the most generally cited measure of inflation, rose 3.0%, in accordance with BLS. The 12-month enhance was 3.7% in September, the newest annualized determine.
The Federal Reserve is aiming for inflation of two% a 12 months, utilizing its most popular metric, the Personal Consumption Expenditures Index. That, too, reveals a rise below Trump. The 12-month enhance was 3.6% in September, in accordance with the Bureau of Financial Evaluation.
Ohio Senate Race
Trump misrepresented each the polls and the ultimate margin within the Ohio Senate race to say that he almost helped Republican Sen. Jon Husted to an inconceivable comeback victory.
“I additionally introduced lots of people to — lots nearer to victory,” Trump mentioned of the midterm outcomes. “For those who have a look at Ohio, he was, Jon Husted was man, however he was 15 down. He ended up shedding by a degree, possibly lower than a degree. It was — he virtually gained.”
Polls didn’t present Husted down 15 factors. Democrat Sherrod Brown constantly led within the polls within the run-up to Election Day, however his lead was a lot narrower. Polling averages from election-analysis websites like FiftyPlusOne, Nate Silver’s Silver Bulletin and Decision Desk HQ present Brown’s lead topping out at round 5 to eight factors within the months forward of the election, and narrowing to 2 to three factors by Election Day.
Trump can be mistaken about how shut the ultimate outcome was. Based on the Related Press, as of Nov. 10, Brown was leading by a snug 4.8 proportion factors (50%-45.2%) with 98% of the vote counted.
D.C. Crime
Trump additionally appeared to enormously exaggerate the lower in crime within the nation’s capital.
“The crime price in Washington, D.C., is down 89%,” he mentioned. “It’s the most secure, and after I was right here it was a killing area, three murders per week. Now we haven’t had a homicide in a very long time.”
We don’t know the supply of Trump’s crime price declare or the time-frame he could also be utilizing. We requested the White Home a number of questions concerning the president’s statements within the interview, and we haven’t obtained a response.
It’s true that crime general has declined in Washington, D.C., prior to now two years, mirroring a nationwide trend.
The Metropolitan Police Division publishes a “District Crime Data at a Glance” page that features statistics on crime incidents somewhat than crime charges. The info as of Nov. 10 present general crime dropping 11% in D.C. to date in 2026, in contrast with the identical interval in 2025. The lower in violent crime in that interval was 12%, and the lower in homicides — which dropped from 119 to 88 — was 26%. Assaults with a lethal weapon, which was the one violent crime class that noticed a rise, went up by 40%.
Complete crime in D.C. to date in 2026 is down greater than 35% when put next with all of 2024, the 12 months previous to Trump taking workplace. An analogous comparability reveals that violent crime is down greater than 29% and homicides are down virtually 53%. Assaults with a lethal weapon are nonetheless greater in 2026, up greater than 9% from the 2024 whole.
As well as, Trump’s declare that “we haven’t had a homicide in a very long time” in D.C. is mistaken, in accordance with different city government data that present 9 homicides within the final 30 days. The 88 homicides this 12 months as of Nov. 10 are shut to 2 homicides per week.
FactCheck.org Undergraduate Fellow Angela Lin contributed to this text.
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