In his first sit-down since the midterm wipeout, Trump told CBS that his deportations were "too tough," blamed Iran and messaging for the losses, and said he couldn't forgive his enemies even to get into heaven.
By Joseph Jackson · ST. PETERSBURG (Mon., Nov. 9, 2026)
The short version
Trump told 60 Minutes correspondent Ross Douthat his deportation policy "might be too tough" and "ultimately, that hurt me." [1][2]
He blamed the GOP's midterm losses on Iran and "bad messaging," and said "I was not on the ballot." [2][3]
Asked if he could forgive enemies like James Comey and Nancy Pelosi to enter heaven, he said: "I do hate some of my enemies and I always will." [1][4]
President Donald Trump said Sunday on CBS's 60 Minutes that he cannot forgive some of his political enemies, even if forgiveness were the price of getting into heaven. It was his first sit-down interview since Republicans lost both chambers of Congress on Nov. 3. [1][2]
The interview with correspondent Ross Douthat was taped Friday at the White House and aired Sunday night. CBS posted a 51-minute extended version online. [5][6]
Fact check: the viral quote
A line spreading on Threads and X puts this in quotation marks: "I would rather go to Hell, than forgive." Trump did not say those words. That line is CNN's headline summary of the exchange, "Trump suggests he would rather go to hell than forgive enemies." [7]
What he did say, according to CNN's account of the broadcast: [1]
Douthat: "Let's say you pass away, you're entering the next life, and all you have to do to enter paradise is feel love and forgiveness for James Comey, Nancy Pelosi, anyone who you have expressed hate for over the years. Do you think you can do it?" [4]
Trump: "Well, then I wouldn't be real, would I?" He said the "easy answer" would be "Oh, yes, I could forgive." [1][4]
Douthat: "Is the answer 'no' then?" Trump: "I want to be honest, no." [1]
Pressed a third time: "I probably cannot do that, no, because I do hate some of my enemies and I always will." [1]
Douthat raised Trump's words at Charlie Kirk's memorial service in 2025, where Erika Kirk publicly forgave her husband's alleged killer and Trump said, "I hate my opponent and I don't want the best for them." [1][2]
Deportations "too tough"
The headline admission was on immigration. "I think it might be too tough, yeah," Trump said. "Ultimately, that hurt me." [1] He pointed to immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for 10 years or more without serious crimes, CNN reported. [2]
He also appeared to invite Democrats, who take control of Congress in January, to work with him on immigration. [2]
Whether anything changes is another question. Three days before the interview aired, Trump named Stephen Miller, the architect of the deportation program, as his chief of staff. [2][8]
Who he blamed for the midterms
"Well, No. 1, I was not on the ballot," Trump said. "I think if I was on the ballot, it would've been a much different situation." [3] He named Iran and bad messaging as the main reasons and took no personal blame, according to CNN. [2]
Douthat pushed back that Trump picked the candidates, Mediaite reported. [9] Trump said he didn't disagree with Vice President JD Vance's analysis blaming the Iran war, but wished Vance had been more supportive of it. [2][3]
Money and conflicts
Douthat spent a large part of the extended interview on Trump's business dealings, including crypto ventures his family launched. CNN reported Trump has earned more than $1 billion from them, and that a UAE-tied firm bought nearly half the family's crypto company before his second inauguration. [2] Mediaite reported Douthat asked why he wouldn't "just divest." [9]
"I have no idea what the hell they're buying," Trump said of foreign buyers, and argued "every president has a problem" with people seeking influence. He compared his dealings to Barack Obama's Netflix deal; Douthat said that was different. [2][5]
2028 and civility
Asked whether Vance would get his endorsement in 2028: "Probably. Not necessarily." He added, "Maybe I'm better off not getting involved," and praised Marco Rubio. [2]
Asked whether he could go six months without insulting Democrats to get a deal, Trump said he could do it "very easily," then brought up that he had called many of them "Dumocrats," The Daily Beast reported. [10]
Why it matters
Democrats take both chambers in January. The interview gave mixed signals: an opening on immigration, a refusal to take blame, and a plain statement that the grudges stay. The White House's next immigration moves, now run by Miller, will show which one is real.
Related reading on FMNN
Opinion | The Revenge Tour: How a Vengeful President Turned DOJ on Us
Opinion: The Midterm Message Was "Stop." Trump Just Promoted the Man Who Won't.
Sources
CNN live coverage, "Trump suggests he would go to hell before forgiving his enemies," Nov. 8, 2026 — https://www.cnn.com/2026/11/08/politics/live-news/midterm-election-trump-congress
CNN (Kevin Liptak), "Trump's regrets on immigration enforcement, and other takeaways from his '60 Minutes' interview" — https://www.cnn.com/2026/11/08/politics/trumps-regrets-immigration-enforcement-60-minutes-interview
The Hollywood Reporter, "Trump Reflects on Republicans' Midterm Losses" — https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/trump-republicans-midterm-losses-60-minutes-interview-1236750685/
AOL, "60 Minutes reporter Ross Douthat tells Donald Trump 'let's talk about death,'" Nov. 9, 2026 — https://www.aol.com/articles/60-minutes-reporter-ross-douthat-124311000.html
Deadline, "Trump's '60 Minutes' Interview Was A Mixture Of Denial, Reflection And Contradiction" — https://deadline.com/2026/11/trump-60-minutes-interview-1237216945/
CBS News, Extended Interview: President Trump on 60 Minutes — https://www.cbsnews.com/video/president-donald-trumps-extended-november-2026-60-minutes-interview/
CNN video, "Trump suggests he would rather go to hell than forgive enemies," Nov. 8, 2026 — https://www.cnn.com/2026/11/08/politics/video/trump-60-minutes-forgive-enemies-comey-pelosi-digvid
FMNN, Trump Names Stephen Miller Chief of Staff — https://www.floridamannewsnetwork.com/news/breaking-stephen-miller-chief-of-staff
Mediaite, "60 Minutes' Ross Douthat Grills Trump on His Net Worth" — https://www.mediaite.com/media/tv/60-minutes-ross-douthat-grills-trump-on-his-net-worth-growing-by-3-billion-during-his-second-term-why-not-just-divest/
The Daily Beast, "Donald Trump, 80, Instantly Flunks Kindergarten-Level Civility Test" — https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-80-instantly-flunks-kindergarten-level-civility-test