Trump Faces Questions on Business, Deportations and Forgiveness

November 8: In an interview on 60 Minutes, President Donald Trump faced questions from CBS News correspondent Ross Douthat about the midterm elections, his family’s cryptocurrency business, deportation policy and his personal views on forgiveness. It was his first sit-down interview since the election losses, one account of the interview said.

Douthat questioned Trump about World Liberty Financial, which Trump acknowledged co-owning with his sons. The venture is partly owned by investors connected to the United Arab Emirates government. Douthat asked whether Trump would regard similar foreign-linked business interests as corrupt if they belonged to the Biden family, then challenged him on why his own case was different.

Trump said he knew nothing about the company and argued his sons managed it. He also said every president has problems, and cited Barack Obama’s post-presidency Netflix deal. Douthat responded that Obama’s arrangement came after he left office. Trump’s business dealings and explanations were part of the corruption concerns discussed in connection with the election results.

Trump said his deportation policy might be too tough. He also attributed voters’ negative views of the economy to poor messaging and argued that candidates would have performed better if he had been on the ballot. After congratulating Democrats on election night, he also reposted election conspiracy theories, one account noted.

Asked whether he could forgive his enemies, Trump said he could not, adding that he hated some of them. Douthat challenged him to reconsider, invoking the president’s life and the prospect of divine judgment; Trump maintained that he probably could not forgive them.

Trump’s Interview Puts Family Business and Deportation Record Under Scrutiny

November 8: Donald Trump’s 60 Minutes interview put two politically charged issues in sharp focus: his family’s financial interests and the harshness of his deportation policy. Ross Douthat pressed the president on both, as well as the midterm losses and Trump’s claims about the economy.

Trump acknowledged that he and his sons co-own World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency venture partly held by investors connected to the United Arab Emirates government. Douthat asked why Trump would view comparable foreign-linked business interests as corrupt if they belonged to the Biden family. Trump said he knew nothing about the venture and that his sons ran it, but Douthat pointed out that Trump could leave the business to avoid accusations of corruption.

Trump’s answer that every president has problems did not resolve the central question of how his family’s business intersects with his public office. He also invoked Barack Obama’s Netflix deal; Douthat noted that it followed Obama’s presidency. The exchange placed the corruption concerns that featured in the midterm debate back before viewers.

Trump also conceded his deportation policy might be too tough. That admission came alongside his explanation that poor messaging, rather than voters’ views of the economy, accounted for those views. The interview further showed Trump refusing to forgive some political enemies, even after Douthat challenged him to reconsider. The questions left voters with a direct account of the president’s own answers on the issues at stake.

Douthat Presses Trump on Midterms, Business and Deportation Policy

November 8: Ross Douthat used Trump’s first sit-down interview since the midterm losses to press the president on his record, his family’s business and his immigration policy. The exchange was persistent, but Trump disputed the premise that the interview’s sharpest accusations established wrongdoing.

Trump confirmed that he and his sons co-own World Liberty Financial, which has investors connected to the United Arab Emirates government. Douthat asked whether Trump would call a similar arrangement corrupt if it involved the Biden family. Trump replied that he knew nothing about the company and said his sons managed it. He also argued that every president faces problems, citing Barack Obama’s Netflix deal; Douthat countered that Obama made his deal after leaving office.

The interview also featured Trump’s account of the election results. He said candidates would have done better with him on the ballot and blamed voters’ poor views of the economy on bad messaging. He had congratulated Democrats on election night but later reposted election conspiracy theories, one account of the interview noted.

On immigration, Trump said his deportation policy might be too tough. His comments came after he had spoken about working with Democrats on immigration reform. The interview ended with questions about whether he could forgive his enemies. Trump said he could not, maintaining that he hated some of them despite Douthat’s appeal for him to reconsider.