President Trump returned to CBS News’s “60 Minutes” on Sunday for his first sit-down interview with the program since its parent company settled a lawsuit with him earlier this year. The interview, conducted Friday at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate by correspondent Norah O’Donnell, covered a wide range of issues, including the ongoing government shutdown, nuclear policy, immigration enforcement and the dynamics of the upcoming New York City mayoral race.
The conversation unfolded against the backdrop of a tense and complicated history between Trump and the network. The relationship has been marked by public criticism, legal disputes and canceled interviews. Sunday’s interview offered a rare moment where both sides came together, albeit in a visibly restrained and occasionally sharp exchange.
Below are five major takeaways from the interview.
1. A cautious detente after lawsuits and past clashes
The interview marked Trump’s return to CBS after a legal confrontation over the network’s editing of an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump claimed CBS manipulated Harris’s remarks about the conflict in Gaza to improve her coherence. The network publicly rejected the accusation, but as part of a broader corporate merger and settlement process, Paramount Global agreed to pay $16 million to Trump’s future presidential library.
At several moments, Trump alluded to this settlement and to the strained history between himself and the network’s flagship newsmagazine. He commented on the new leadership at CBS, referencing editor-in-chief Bari Weiss.
“And actually 60 Minutes paid me a lotta money,” Trump said. “And you don’t have to put this on, because I don’t want to embarrass you, and I’m sure you’re not — you have a great — I think you have a great, new leader, frankly, who’s the young woman that’s leading your whole enterprise is a great — from what I know.”
Trump also needled O’Donnell when she declined to respond to a question about crime rates in Washington, D.C.
“That’s good. You don’t have to use that one. Don’t worry. Don’t worry. I don’t want to embarrass her,” Trump said.
The dynamic showed Trump both engaging in familiar sparring with media figures while also appearing intent on framing the settlement as a personal victory.
2. Trump claims other global powers are testing nuclear weapons
One of the most consequential moments of the interview came when the discussion shifted to nuclear policy. Trump has recently directed the U.S. government to resume nuclear weapons testing, a move that has raised concerns about strategic escalation and international treaty obligations.
In defending the policy shift, Trump claimed that major global powers are already conducting nuclear tests.
“Russia’s testing nuclear weapons,” Trump said. “And China’s testing them, too. You just don’t know about it.”
O’Donnell corrected that Russia has tested delivery systems, not nuclear warheads, but Trump repeated: “Russia’s testing, and China’s testing, but they don’t talk about it… No, we’re gonna test, because they test and others test. And certainly North Korea’s been testing. Pakistan’s been testing.”
The U.S. halted explosive nuclear testing in 1992. Republicans have generally supported Trump’s new directive, arguing it reinforces national security, while Democrats have questioned its necessity and potential global fallout. The administration has not yet released details on when or where testing would resume.
3. Trump signals support for Cuomo over Mamdani in NYC mayoral race
The interview comes just days ahead of several high-profile elections, including the New York City mayoral contest. In that race, Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, leads in polls over Republican Curtis Sliwa and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is attempting a comeback via a third-party campaign.
Trump has not formally endorsed anyone, but he suggested a pragmatic preference:
“So I don’t know that he’s won, and I’m not a fan of Cuomo one way or the other, but if it’s gonna be between a bad Democrat and a communist, I’m gonna pick the bad Democrat all the time, to be honest with you.”
The comment reflects Trump’s strategy of framing certain left-wing candidates as radical while signaling openness to traditional Democrats when politically advantageous. However, Trump also warned that New York could lose federal support depending on its leadership:
“It’s gonna be hard for me as the president to give a lot of money to New York. Because if you have a communist running New York, all you’re doing is wasting the money you’re sending there.”
The remarks appear likely to resonate in the final stretch of the race, where economic anxiety and public safety are dominant issues.
4. No new ground on the government shutdown
The government shutdown at the time of the interview was close to becoming the longest in U.S. history. Yet Trump did not offer new proposals for ending the impasse.
“I mean, the Republicans are voting almost unanimously to end it, and the Democrats keep voting against ending it,” Trump said.
Democrats have refused to back a continuing resolution unless it includes commitments to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire, which could sharply raise healthcare premiums.
Trump said he was willing to discuss healthcare after reopening the government but did not offer a standalone plan.
“No. We will work on fixing the bad healthcare that we have,” Trump said. “Right now, we have terrible healthcare and too expensive for the people, not for the government, for the people.”
For now, there remains no visible breakthrough.
5. Trump defends ICE raids and the prosecution of his critics
O’Donnell questioned Trump about recent aggressive ICE enforcement actions, including tear gas deployment and property damage in neighborhoods.
Trump was direct:
“No. I think they haven’t gone far enough because we’ve been held back by the judges, by the liberal judges that were put in by Biden and by Obama.”
When asked if he approved of such tactics, Trump answered: “Yeah, because you have to get the people out.”
O’Donnell also asked about the Justice Department’s indictments of former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James and former national security adviser John Bolton. Critics have argued these are politically driven cases.
Trump rejected that interpretation:
“I think I’ve been very mild-mannered,” he said. “You’re looking at a man who was indicted many times, and I had to beat the rap… They tried to get me not to run for president by going after me and by indicting me.”
Conclusion
Trump’s return to “60 Minutes” did not feature major announcements or new policy shifts. Instead, it offered a snapshot of a presidency defined by confrontation, personal grievance, and strategic messaging to supporters. The interview will likely fuel ongoing debates over media accountability, presidential power and the boundaries of political retaliation — debates that show no sign of easing.
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