U.S. President Donald Trump, in an interview with CBS News' program «60 Minutes», has commented in detail for the first time on the results of the midterm congressional elections held on November 3, 2026, which, according to American media estimates, ended in a crushing defeat for the Republican Party. The head of the White House listed several factors that he believes were the key reasons for his party's failure at the polls. Among them are the military operation against Iran, a sharp rise in gasoline prices, the administration's insufficient communication with voters, and strict immigration policy. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine citing the CBS News broadcast.
War with Iran and Gasoline: Main «Pain Points» for Voters
At the center of the conversation with the «60 Minutes» hosts was the attitude of American voters toward the military conflict with Iran. According to Trump, this very issue became one of the main factors influencing the voting outcome. «Voters didn't like the war with Iran and the rapid rise in gasoline prices it caused,» the president stated. At the same time, he emphasized that he considers the decision to launch the military operation correct and justified: according to him, U.S. actions made it possible to weaken Iran's military potential and «set its nuclear program back many years.» When directly asked whether he considers the attack justified, Trump replied: «My answer is absolutely yes.» At the same time, he stated that he does not intend to start a new escalation and sees no grounds for it.
«Poor Communication»: Admission of Failure on the Information Front
A separate block in the interview was the admission that the administration failed to convey its achievements to a wide audience. Trump stated that U.S. economic indicators are «phenomenal,» yet Republicans failed to persuasively present these data to voters. «I think there was poor communication, maybe on my part, but I talked about it constantly. So I don't know how much more I can talk about it,» the head of the White House noted. Thus, the president essentially shifted part of the responsibility for the failure onto the party's communication strategy, without naming specific individuals or structures that, in his opinion, should have worked more effectively.
Immigration Policy as a Factor of Alienation
Among the listed reasons for the defeat, Trump also mentioned the strict immigration policy pursued by the administration. In the context of the interview, this sounded like another element that, in his assessment, alienated a portion of voters from the Republican Party. Details of which specific measures or statements in the sphere of immigration policy he considers most «toxic» for the electorate were not disclosed on the CBS News broadcast, but the very fact of including this topic in the list of causes of defeat emphasizes that a review of a number of domestic political priorities is underway within the party.
Context: The November 3 Rout and Consequences for Domestic Policy
The midterm elections of November 3, 2026, became one of the most severe defeats for the Republican Party in recent decades. The loss of control over a significant portion of congressional chambers means that for the remainder of his second presidential term, Trump will have to work under conditions of legislative confrontation. It is in this key that his CBS News interview looks like an attempt to simultaneously explain the failure to his own supporters and outline a line for the future: the war with Iran was justified, escalation is not planned, and economic achievements are «phenomenal» — they just weren't «communicated loudly enough» to voters. RBC-Ukraine also notes that the congressional voting results have direct consequences for the U.S. foreign policy course, including scenarios concerning Ukraine — a detailed analysis of these scenarios was presented by journalist Roman Kot in a separate article.
What's Next: The «Bench» and the 2028 Horizon
In parallel with analyzing the reasons for the defeat, Trump in another broadcast — on Fox News — outlined the party's personnel reserves for the upcoming 2028 presidential election. Among potential candidates, he named Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, stating: «We have JD, Marco, and many others, we have a strong bench, they don't.» Thus, even against the backdrop of the crushing defeat on November 3, the administration is trying to project a narrative of resilience and readiness for a long-term political struggle, shifting the blame for the failure onto external circumstances and communication glitches rather than strategic policy errors.
