Trump cites dislike of Israel as key factor in GOP midterm losses alongside war with Iran

US President Donald Trump said that growing dislike of Israel among American voters was one of the main reasons for the Republican Party’s sweeping defeat in the midterm elections, alongside the war with Iran and rising gasoline prices.

In an extensive interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes, conducted by correspondent Ross Douthat at the White House on Friday and scheduled to air Sunday, Trump offered his most detailed public assessment yet of the election results, which cost Republicans control of both chambers of Congress.

Asked to explain the defeat, Trump insisted that his personal popularity remained strong and suggested that Republican candidates had failed to translate his support into votes.

“Well, number one, I was not on the ballot. But I campaigned hard for some people. And I think if I was on the ballot, it would have been a much different situation,” Trump said.

The president pointed to the large crowds at his campaign rallies but acknowledged that other factors had influenced voters.

“But there’s something beyond that. They didn’t like the war. They didn’t like the fact that gasoline went up,” he said.

Trump argued that the war with Iran had driven fuel prices higher, even as he maintained that preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons remained essential.

“Because I think everyone agrees that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” he said.

Trump says Americans have 'great dislike for Israel'

“And they will never have a nuclear weapon. They won’t have that. And there’s a great dislike, incredibly, for Israel.”

Trump continued: “There seems to be a dislike for Israel. So you have that. You have the war itself. You have the gas prices. And I think those are the primary reasons.”

The president did not specify which segments of the electorate he believed had developed negative attitudes toward Israel, nor did he cite polling data supporting that assessment.

He also acknowledged that his Make America Great Again movement had traditionally opposed American involvement in foreign wars.

“MAGA, and I always want to keep out of wars,” Trump said, arguing that his administration had successfully ended several international conflicts.

Trump on Vance’s criticism: ‘I don’t disagree with it’

Trump was also asked about Vice President JD Vance’s controversial assessment of the midterm defeat, in which Vance argued that the Iran war had alienated voters and addressed the administration’s relationship with Israel.

“I don’t disagree with it,” Trump replied.

The president revealed that Vance had consulted him before publishing his statement.

“He asked me, what do I think? I said, you write what you feel,” Trump recalled.

However, Trump said the vice president had omitted what he considered the central question: whether launching the military campaign against Iran had ultimately been the right decision.

“The one thing I wish he would’ve said there, if he felt it, and you’d have to ask him about that. But if you had it to do again, would you do it?” Trump said.

“My answer is an emphatic yes, because you can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon.”

Trump acknowledged that the decision might have damaged Republicans politically in the short term, but insisted it would ultimately be vindicated.

“I think historically, this will be a very good decision. Is it a good decision for today and tomorrow? Maybe not, but I would, you know, I have to go with what’s right for our country.”

The president argued that failing to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons would have been far more damaging to his presidency than the Republican election losses.

Trump claims Iran was close to a deal before the election

In one of the interview’s most significant disclosures, Trump claimed that Washington and Tehran had been close to reaching an agreement before Tuesday’s midterm elections.

“They wanted to make a deal just before the election,” he said.

“But we were close to making a deal. If we didn’t have this election, we might’ve even had, or within the next few days, we would’ve had a deal.”

Trump suggested that the Democratic victories had encouraged Iranian negotiators to believe they could secure better terms.

“We would’ve had a deal, except for this election,” he said.

Nevertheless, he expressed confidence that an agreement would eventually be reached.

Asked whether he intended to escalate the conflict now that the midterms were over, Trump said he did not.

“I’m not looking to. I don’t think there’s any reason to.”

The president repeatedly insisted that the United States had already won the war and that Iran was facing mounting pressure.

“That war has been won. Now they’re withering away as a country and they’ll come and they’ll make a deal,” he said.

‘Without us, Israel wouldn’t exist’

Trump also delivered an emphatic defense of the American strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, arguing that they had prevented the destruction of Israel.

Asked whether Iran might still possess nuclear material, Trump dismissed the possibility that it could pose an immediate threat.

“They have nothing. It’s buried under thousands of tons of rock,” he said.

The president claimed that sophisticated American surveillance systems were monitoring the three nuclear sites struck by US forces, as well as the underground facility known as Pickaxe Mountain.

“We watch every one of those sites, the three that we blew up, and also Pickaxe Mountain,” he said.

Trump acknowledged uncertainty about what remained at Pickaxe Mountain but said the United States could strike the facility rapidly if necessary.

“If we needed to do Pickaxe, which we don’t at this moment, we would have that done in one hour.”

The president also addressed the continuing American military presence around the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that it had allowed oil shipments to resume.

He claimed that countries protected by the United States would ultimately reimburse Washington for the costs of the war.

“At the end of this whole thing, those countries that we’ve protected are going to pay us back any and all costs that we’ve had for the war,” Trump said.

“We’re gonna get all that money back.”

He then added: “Because without us, they wouldn’t exist. Without us, Israel wouldn’t exist.”

Asked whether he regretted helping Israel carry out strikes targeting Iran’s leadership, Trump defended the decision as necessary to eliminate the nuclear threat for the long term.

“I want to have it for the long term, not for the short term. We decapitated their nuclear arsenal,” he said.

“If I didn’t do that, there would be no Israel right now. Israel would be gone.”

Trump went further, claiming that Iran would use nuclear weapons almost immediately if it obtained them.

“They would use a nuclear weapon in 24 hours,” he said.

The president’s assertions about Iran’s remaining nuclear capabilities, the effectiveness of American strikes and Tehran’s intentions were not accompanied by new independently verifiable intelligence assessments.

Trump admits deportation policy was ‘too tough’

Beyond foreign policy, Trump made a striking acknowledgment about his administration’s immigration crackdown, conceding that the mass deportation campaign may have gone too far and hurt Republicans politically.

Asked whether the policy had contributed to the party’s electoral defeat, Trump argued that closing the southern border had been a major success, but acknowledged that removing undocumented immigrants who had worked in the United States for years had created political problems.

“We also took people that had good jobs, that created one violation were breaking of the law, and that was that they came into the country illegally,” Trump said.

He noted that many Americans believed long-term undocumented workers should be allowed to remain if they were productive members of their communities.

Asked directly whether his deportation policy had gone too far, Trump replied: “I think it was too tough.”

“I think it might be too tough, yeah. And a lot of people would say that it’s great, but a lot of people think it’s too tough,” he added.

Trump suggested that he could reach an agreement with Democrats to allow certain undocumented workers, including those employed in hotels, landscaping and other industries, to remain in the country.

He said some Democrats had already contacted him about possible cooperation.

Asked whether he could refrain from insulting Democratic lawmakers for six months if doing so were necessary to reach an agreement, Trump responded: “Very easily.”

The remarks represented an unusual acknowledgment by Trump that one of the administration’s signature policies had generated political backlash.

Trump blames poor messaging and the media for economic dissatisfaction

Trump also addressed voters’ dissatisfaction with the economy despite what he described as exceptionally strong economic indicators.

Asked why Americans remained unhappy about the cost of living, inflation and wages, Trump suggested that his administration had failed to communicate its achievements effectively.

“I think it was bad messaging, maybe by me,” he said.

He then criticized the media, accusing news organizations of refusing to report positive economic developments under Republican administrations.

“Look, the press doesn’t cover, the press doesn’t cover positive news for Republicans. They don’t cover, certainly, positive news for me. So I have to do it myself.”

Trump said that was one of the reasons he had held so many campaign rallies before the midterms.

He claimed that the stock market had lost approximately $3 trillion in value following the Democratic victories and blamed the decline on investors’ concerns about the incoming congressional majorities.

The president also highlighted employment figures showing 165,000 new jobs, arguing that the numbers had significantly exceeded expectations.

He lamented that the figures had been released after the elections rather than before them.

Trump suggested that voters would begin to recognize the administration’s economic achievements over the coming months as investments in manufacturing, energy and other industries produced tangible results.

Trump signals possible personnel changes, defends Hegseth

Asked whether he planned to dismiss administration officials following the Republican defeat, Trump acknowledged that changes were possible.

“A little bit,” he said.

“I love my cabinet. I think they’re good, but I’ll be doing maybe a few changes.”

The president declined to identify officials who might leave.

When asked specifically whether he continued to have confidence in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, whose possible impeachment has been discussed by lawmakers, Trump answered affirmatively.

“I do. Look, we’ve won two wars,” he said, referring to American military operations in Venezuela and Iran.

Trump credited the military with what he described as a successful campaign against the Venezuelan government and claimed that Iran’s naval and air capabilities had been destroyed.

Asked whether Hegseth personally deserved credit for the Venezuela operation, Trump offered a more qualified response.

“No, but he was a part of it,” he said.

“I credit great soldiers, great generals, and great equipment.”

Trump nevertheless condemned the efforts to impeach the defense secretary.

“We had two wars. We won both. We won Venezuela. We won Iran,” he said.

“How do you impeach a guy that, we had two wars, we won them both?”

Trump declines to commit to Vance for 2028, praises Rubio

The president was also questioned about the future of the Republican Party and whether he intended to endorse a successor in the 2028 presidential election.

“Probably, not necessarily,” Trump replied.

Asked about potential candidates other than Vice President Vance, Trump praised Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“Well, I think Marco’s great,” he said.

Trump said he expected Rubio to remain secretary of state, describing him as someone who enjoyed the job and was performing well.

“He certainly loves it, and he’s doing great, he’s doing a fantastic job.”

The president added that several senators and other Republican figures could emerge as potential successors.

He suggested that he might ultimately decide against endorsing anyone, despite his confidence in the power of his political support.

“Maybe I’m better off not getting involved,” he said.

Trump questioned over family business interests and cryptocurrency

One of the interview’s most confrontational exchanges concerned Trump’s personal wealth and his family’s business activities.

Douthat cited a Forbes report estimating that Trump’s net worth had increased by approximately $3 billion since his return to the White House.

Trump initially responded that others had also benefited from the stock market’s rise.

“Well, you should have had stock,” he told the interviewer.

Pressed on his own financial gains, Trump said he devoted almost no time to his net worth and that his sons managed his business interests.

“I have a lot of money, and far more than I ever thought I’d have. And I guess it’s gone up. I don’t even know,” he said.

Douthat questioned Trump about World Liberty Financial, the cryptocurrency company in which the president and his family have financial interests, including investments connected to the United Arab Emirates.

Asked whether foreign investors might be attempting to purchase influence through the company, Trump said he did not know and argued that conflicts of interest were common across presidential administrations.

He maintained that his sons operated the family businesses and that he could not reasonably expect them to stop working simply because he was president.

Trump on AI: ‘If we don’t have it, China’s gonna have it’

The interview also addressed the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence and competition between Washington and Beijing.

Trump described himself as strongly supportive of the technology, arguing that American leadership was essential to national security and economic prosperity.

“If we don’t have it, China’s gonna have it,” he said.

“That would put us at an unbelievable disadvantage.”

Trump said he believed concerns about the dangers of advanced AI were exaggerated, although he acknowledged the need for some safeguards.

“I think that the risk is not nearly as real as they talk. And I think the risk can be managed,” he said.

In an unusual disclosure, Trump claimed that his administration had threatened a senior figure at a major AI company with imprisonment over unspecified conduct.

He refused to identify the individual but said the threat had prompted an immediate change in behavior.

The president maintained that the United States must remain ahead of China in developing what he prefers to call “superintelligence.”

Trump on Ukraine: ‘We’re very close to making a deal’

Discussing the continuing war between Russia and Ukraine, Trump expressed optimism that a diplomatic agreement could soon be reached.

“I believe we’re very close to making a deal,” he said.

The president attributed one of the main obstacles to what he described as intense personal hostility between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Asked which leader he trusted more, Trump declined to answer directly.

“I’d rather not say, but I get along with both,” he replied.

He claimed that American diplomatic efforts were approaching a breakthrough.

“I believe that that war is going to end and it’s gonna end soon. And the only reason it’s gonna end is because of me.”

Trump also defended his administration’s approach to military assistance for Ukraine, arguing that European countries were now paying for American weapons rather than receiving them at US taxpayers’ expense.

He said Washington continued to supply the weapons but that Europe was financing the purchases.

Asked about reported disruptions to the Starlink satellite system used by Ukrainian forces, Trump said he did not know who had been responsible for reducing service but indicated that the problem had subsequently been resolved.

Trump discusses pardons and refuses to forgive political enemies

Near the end of the interview, Trump said he expected to issue a substantial number of pardons before leaving office, partly to protect administration officials from potential prosecutions under future governments.

“I intend to issue tremendous numbers of pardons,” he said.

Trump defended his previous pardons of defendants convicted in connection with the January 6 Capitol riot, arguing that they had been treated unfairly.

The conversation then turned to more personal questions, including mortality, faith and the possibility of forgiveness.

Asked what he believed would happen to him after death, Trump described himself as religious.

“Well, I’m a religious person. So in theory, I go to heaven,” he said.

“I hope so. I don’t want to go to hell.”

Douthat then asked whether Trump could forgive political enemies, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former FBI Director James Comey, if forgiveness were necessary to enter heaven.

Trump initially resisted the hypothetical.

“If I said to you, sure, the easy answer to that, oh yes, I could forgive,” he said, suggesting that such a response would be dishonest.

He described his opponents as deeply dishonest people who had harmed the country.

Asked directly whether the answer was no, Trump replied: “The answer is no. I want to be honest.”

The interviewer pressed further, asking whether Trump would still refuse to forgive his enemies even before God’s judgment.

“Can I be honest? I probably cannot do that now because I do hate some of my enemies and I always will,” the president said.

Finally, asked how he hoped his presidency would be remembered 100 years from now, Trump offered a single sentence:

“That I made America great again.”