President Donald Trump sat down for an extended interview with journalist Ross Douthat to address recent Republican election setbacks in the midterm races, ongoing foreign conflicts involving Iran and Ukraine, economic metrics, and the challenges of transferring personal voter appeal to individual political candidates. We lost yesterday, because of the election, $3 trillion.
Below is a transcript of their conversation.
ROSS DOUTHAT: Mr. President, thank you so much for doing this. And, you know, MAGA– and– always, I wanna keep out of wars.
Give me your political analysis of what just happened. It would’ve been a much different situation because you saw the level of popularity and love, and– I think if I was on the ballot. That’s been true throughout your second term.
Midterm Results and Electoral Strategy
Addressing the midterm outcomes, Douthat noted the contrast between Trump’s past historic victory and the recent broad defeats suffered by the Republican party across several key races. ROSS DOUTHAT: We’re gonna start with the midterms. Two years ago, you won a big, some might say historic, victory. Maybe less than a point, he ended up losing by a point. I won Ohio by the most votes in history too. We have the highest stock market in history.
Trump emphasized that his own name was not on the ballot during the midterms, though he had actively campaigned across the country. They’ve not necessarily listened to me, look– three times.
“Nobody’s ever seen rallies like that for midterms. And– there wasn’t one room that didn’t have thousands of people outside, couldn’t get in,” Trump said, noting that while his personal supporters turned out in large numbers for events, voters reacted strongly to rising national costs and international tensions. Incredibly, for Israel, but– and there’s– a great dislike. But– I don’t make excuses for that. Like, 28 days or something, i did I think 30 rallies in. Or are there other things that haven’t been fixed.
Voter Discontent and Economic Factors
Trump stated that voter dissatisfaction stemmed primarily from specific economic pressures and foreign wars. Ta– talk about the economy for a moment.
He pointed to energy costs as a primary frustration for voters during the election cycle.
- Gasoline Prices: Trump noted prices were previously at low points, stating, “In Iowa, it was $1.85 cents a gallon. $1.85 a gallon.”
- Price Increases: He added that gas rose to “$3.50, $4” per gallon, noting that while it remained lower than during the Biden or Obama administrations, the conflict was blamed for the increase.
- Economic Data: Handing over economic documents during the interview, Trump pointed to job creation numbers, stating, “We had 165,000 jobs– And the numbers are way beyond anybody’s expectations by h– by over 125,000, 130,000.”
Key Candidate Endorsements and Debates
Douthat pressed the President on specific candidates he selected and endorsed across several contested state races, questioning why his personal appeal did not consistently convert into victory for those targeted campaigns. Darline, I did that in– honor of a man named Lindsey, who was a friend of mine.
- Candidate Selection: Douthat noted Trump urged supporters on the trail to “Vote like I’m on the ballot.”
- Ken Paxton: Douthat raised the high-profile endorsement of Ken Paxton in Texas, noting he faced a tough electoral path.
- Darline Graham: The exchange covered the endorsement of Darline Graham in South Carolina, where Republicans lost a traditional seat to a liberal challenger.
- Jon Husted: Trump defended his endorsement strategy in key races such as Ohio, stating, “Jon Husted– was a good guy, but he was 15 down. And, had I not endorsed them, they wouldn’t have won ’cause there was a wave.”
- Electoral Transferability: Trump maintained that while his political rallies demonstrated immense popularity, transferring enthusiasm to specific down-ballot candidates proved challenging amid broader national headwinds.
Foreign Policy and Conflict Resolution
Turning to foreign affairs, Trump detailed his administration’s diplomatic record and military observations regarding international security and regional disputes.
- Aviation Losses: Discussing military operations and regional conflicts, Trump noted, “They had 11 planes shot down.”
- India-Pakistan Mediation: Highlighting past diplomatic interventions, Trump stated, “I’ve settled eight wars. I settled eight wars. I mean, India-Pakistan would’ve been a nuclear war. I got it… The prime minister of Pakistan said, ‘Trump saved 30-50 million lives.'”
- Additional Territorial Conflicts: Trump cited ongoing efforts and resolution strategies concerning international flashpoints, specifically pointing to diplomatic efforts involving Azerbaijan.
The full interview aired as part of the 60 Minutes news broadcast, detailing extended exchanges between Trump and Douthat on domestic policy, the political landscape, economic indicators, and foreign relations.
